Northern Arizona University

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Sareh Assiri

Bertrand Francis Cambou

Fatemeh Afghah

Christopher Robert Philabaum

H Shelton Jacinto

Ashwija Korenda

The present invention provides a method for using a tamper-resistant physical unclonable functions (PUF) to generate temporary passwords, encrypt a password manager database for one-way encryption, and authenticate users. Resistive Random-Access Memory (ReRAM) can be exploited as PUFs. On the server side, a ReRAM PUF can be used to change the format of the password manager database. By comparing the resistance values extracted from the ReRAM PUF, a bitstream can be generated which can then be used as a challenge. Furthermore, by utilizing the hash function and the ReRAM PUF, the password manager database's content can be encrypted as a one-way encryption. The resistance values, which are the ReRAM PUF output, are converted to a bitstream and then replace the user ID and password hash in the database.

Password manager database encryption and generation of temporary code based on ReRAM physical unclonable functions

Systems and methods for providing authentication and secure cryptographic communication between a client and server are described. The client includes an addressable array of PUF devices. The client receives or generates a set of instructions usable to determine a range of PUF addresses. The client measures the PUF addresses and generates a first set of responses. The responses are used to encrypt a session key, which is stored, along with the instructions and a hash of the responses, at the client. Later, the client may recover the session key by using the instructions to measure the PUF again, resulting in a second set of responses. Using a response-based cryptography search engine, the client may then iteratively modify and hash the second set of responses until a response set is uncovered that matches the first response set. This modified response set may then be used to uncover the session key.

Systems and methods using search engines to generate cryptographic keys from erratic physical unclonable functions

Systems and methods of correcting errors in encrypted communication between a server and client devices using keyless encryption schemes are disclosed. Client devices with arrays of physical-unclonable-function devices respond to challenges from a server. Characteristics of the arrays are stored by the server during a secure enrollment process. To send an encrypted message, the server generates a message digest, extracts data from the stored arrays on the basis of the message digest, applies error correction codes to the message, encrypts the message with the extracted data, and sends the message to a client. The server may receive a handshake containing all or part of the message digest, measures its PUF, and decrypts and decodes the message.

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Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America

Sareh Assiri