Enhanced security apparatus for mediation between console peripheral devices and hosts

Abstract

A secure mediator for coupling between one or more hosts and one or more consoles comprising one or more peripheral devices. the secure mediator comprises host side ports, each host side port is configured to be connected to a corresponding host, and console side ports, each console side port is configured to be connected to a corresponding peripheral device. The secure mediator comprises: a triggering circuitry; a timing/control circuitry; a setup circuitry; a switching circuitry; and the rest of the mediator circuitries, wherein the triggering circuitry, timing/control circuitry, setup circuitry, and switching circuitry are non-programable circuitries. The mediator has at least two stages: a security setup stage and a normal operation stage. The triggering circuitry is configured to monitor events and to signal these events to the timing/control circuitry in order to trigger a transfer between the security setup stage and the normal operation stage. The timing/control circuitry controls the execution of the security setup stage and transfers the mediator between the security setup stage and the normal operation stage. The setup circuitry performs one or more security functions in the security setup stage to enhance the cyber security of mediator. The switching circuitry, conditioned upon control from the timing/control circuitry, switches between the coupling of: (1) at least one of the host side ports with at least two of any one of (a) the setup circuitry; (b) the rest of the mediator circuitries; (c) one of the console side ports; (d) a null port, and (2) at least one of the console side ports with at least two of any one of (a) the setup circuitry; (b) the rest of the mediator circuitries; (c) one of the host side ports; (d) a null port.