RAM LABORATORIES — Department of Homeland Security SBIR Phase I: H-SB016.1-009

Description

Several security shortfalls associated with the Internet of Things (IoTs) are related to key management and distributions, which are used to encrypt, sign and authenticate messages and remotely manage participating applications. These challenges are especially difficult to address in disadvantaged, intermittent and low latency (DIL) environments, such as those faced by first responders, where the ability to exchange keys to authenticate users, devices, and messages may be thwarted by the lack of connectivity. Blockchain technologies can address they shortfalls through the used of secure decentralized computing ledgers that update distributed nodes with ongoing consensus truth states. RAM Laboratories is proposing, within the context of a prototype ecosystem, to build on Blockchain concepts and develop an innovative set of Enhanced Blockchain Trust Services (EBTS) for use by first responders on attestation, signature generation, and authentication. EBTS services are pioneering in that they both establish a unique fingerprint for the target device by utilizing device fingerprint information extracted from hardware sensors, the device software configuration, and the network configuration parameters, and trust attestations computed by neighboring nodes and transaction partners in the distributed network. Attestations and keys generation from hardware, software, trust scores and network parameters alleviate the need for protected identity key storage and device re-keying. The proposed EBTS solution will also be integrated with network defense environments to provide enhanced capabilities for handling security polices, information security, network security, and user privacy.