Abstract: In certain embodiments, an information obfuscation service may be incorporated directly into the main applications processor of a portable computing device such that the applications processor and its relevant storage peripherals may be securely shared via a virtualization firmware module, avoiding the use of specialized hardware or major modifications of the operating system. The virtualizing and obfuscating storage firmware module may enable a much higher level of assurance in information-at-rest protection while using only the memory protection and privilege mode facilities inherent in common portable device applications microprocessors. The virtualizing and obfuscating storage firmware may interpose storage accesses originating from the operating system. This interposition may be performed seamlessly, without explicit knowledge of the operating system.

Abstract: Certain embodiments disclose an integrated dual-device architecture for marrying modern computing devices (e.g. laptops, smartphones and tablets) with standalone tactical radios (e.g. military or first-responder push-to-talk radios) with the goal of leveraging modern mobile devices for improved interfaces and usability (compared to a tactical radio) while reducing the footprint (size, weight, battery power/capacity, and cost) of the tactical radio. Certain embodiments encompass offloading various traditional radio workloads (e.g. voice processing, control/management processing, and cryptographic processing) from the radio onto the mobile device, dramatically simplifying the tactical radio design and cost (e.g. making the radio a “dumb” transceiver only), and physically conjoining the mobile device with the reduced tactical radio into a single, conveniently operated and transported system.

Abstract: Certain embodiments disclose an integrated dual-device architecture for marrying modern computing devices (e.g. laptops, smartphones and tablets) with standalone tactical radios (e.g. military or first-responder push-to-talk radios) with the goal of leveraging modern mobile devices for improved interfaces and usability (compared to a tactical radio) while reducing the footprint (size, weight, battery power/capacity, and cost) of the tactical radio. Certain embodiments encompass offloading various traditional radio workloads (e.g. voice processing, control/management processing, and cryptographic processing) from the radio onto the mobile device, dramatically simplifying the tactical radio design and cost (e.g. making the radio a “dumb” transceiver only), and physically conjoining the mobile device with the reduced tactical radio into a single, conveniently operated and transported system.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, an information obfuscation service may be incorporated directly into the main applications processor of a portable computing device such that the applications processor and its relevant storage peripherals may be securely shared via a virtualization firmware module, avoiding the use of specialized hardware or major modifications of the operating system. The virtualizing and obfuscating storage firmware module may enable a much higher level of assurance in information-at-rest protection while using only the memory protection and privilege mode facilities inherent in common portable device applications microprocessors. The virtualizing and obfuscating storage firmware may interpose storage accesses originating from the operating system. This interposition may be performed seamlessly, without explicit knowledge of the operating system.

Abstract: A virtualizing and obfuscating communications firmware module may be incorporated into common, mass-market portable computing devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to provide this service. The disclosure encompasses authentication and obfuscation software components that may comprise trusted firmware whose operation is protected from the main portable device operating system that is assumed to be hostile (e.g. infiltrated with malware or under the control of a remote attacker). In certain embodiments, a single-chip design is disclosed, without any specialized hardware: only the primary portable device applications microprocessor may be used by both the main operating system and the virtualizing and obfuscating communications firmware module. The operating system may operates as if it has access to a real communications peripheral, but in reality the virtualizing and obfuscating communications firmware module virtualizes this peripheral.