Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for protecting a component from an observation attack are provided. A power balancing circuit configured to protect a cryptography component can include a ring oscillator electrically connected to a power supply, a time-to-digital converter (TDC) electrically connected to monitor an electrical parameter of the electrical power drawn by the cryptography component and provide data indicative of the electrical parameter, and a controller circuit configured to adjust a number of inverters of the ring oscillator drawing power from the power supply based on the data.

Abstract: A system may include a processor and a memory, the processor having at least one cache. The cache may include a plurality of sets, each set having a plurality of cache lines. Each cache line may include several bits for storing information, including at least a “shared” bit to indicate whether the cache line is shared between different processes being executed by the processor. The example cache may also include shared cache line detection and eviction logic. During normal operation, the cache logic may monitor for a context switch (i.e., determine if the processor is switching from executing instructions for a first process to executing instructions for a second process). Upon a context switch, the cache logic may evict the shared cache lines (e.g., the cache lines with a shared bit of 1). This eviction of shared cache lines may prevent attackers utilizing such attacks from gleaning meaningful information.

Abstract: A system may include a processor and a memory, the processor having at least one cache. The cache may include a plurality of sets, each set having a plurality of cache lines. Each cache line may include several bits for storing information, including at least a “shared” bit to indicate whether the cache line is shared between different processes being executed by the processor. The example cache may also include shared cache line detection and eviction logic. During normal operation, the cache logic may monitor for a context switch (i.e., determine if the processor is switching from executing instructions for a first process to executing instructions for a second process). Upon a context switch, the cache logic may evict the shared cache lines (e.g., the cache lines with a shared bit of 1). Due to the nature of cache-timing side-channel attacks, this eviction of shared cache lines may prevent attackers utilizing such attacks from gleaning meaningful information.

Abstract: A device, system, and method for providing processor-based data protection on a mobile computing device includes accessing data stored in memory with a central processing unit of the mobile computing device and determining that the accessed data is encrypted data based on a data included in one or more control registers of the central processing unit. If the data is determined to be encrypted data, the central processing unit is to decrypt the encrypted data using a cryptographic key stored in the central processing unit. The encrypted data may also be stored on a drive of the mobile computing device. The encryption state of the data stored on the drive is maintained in a drive encryption table, which is used to update a memory page tables and the one or more control registers.

Abstract: Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, and machine readable mediums which provide a security rating to an STA for a WLAN AP. Prior to connecting to an AP, the STA employs pre-connection logic in the STA to identify likely safe and likely unsafe APs. Once the user connects to an AP, the STA connects first in an untrusted mode. In the untrusted mode, the STA uses the network connectivity provided by the AP to establish a secure connection to a network-based WLAN trust service for post-connection security checks. If the AP passes the post-connection security checks, the STA may allow other applications to access the network connection provided by the AP.

Abstract: Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, and machine readable mediums which provide a security rating to an STA for a WLAN AP. Prior to connecting to an AP, the STA employs pre-connection logic in the STA to identify likely safe and likely unsafe APs. Once the user connects to an AP, the STA connects first in an untrusted mode. In the untrusted mode, the STA uses the network connectivity provided by the AP to establish a secure connection to a network-based WLAN trust service for post-connection security checks. If the AP passes the post-connection security checks, the STA may allow other applications to access the network connection provided by the AP.

Abstract: A device, system, and method for providing processor-based data protection on a mobile computing device includes accessing data stored in memory with a central processing unit of the mobile computing device and determining that the accessed data is encrypted data based on a data included in one or more control registers of the central processing unit. If the data is determined to be encrypted data, the central processing unit is to decrypt the encrypted data using a cryptographic key stored in the central processing unit. The encrypted data may also be stored on a drive of the mobile computing device. The encryption state of the data stored on the drive is maintained in a drive encryption table, which is used to update a memory page tables and the one or more control registers.

Abstract: A device, system, and method for providing processor-based data protection on a mobile computing device includes accessing data stored in memory with a central processing unit of the mobile computing device and determining that the accessed data is encrypted data based on a data included in one or more control registers of the central processing unit. If the data is determined to be encrypted data, the central processing unit is to decrypt the encrypted data using a cryptographic key stored in the central processing unit. The encrypted data may also be stored on a drive of the mobile computing device. The encryption state of the data stored on the drive is maintained in a drive encryption table, which is used to update a memory page tables and the one or more control registers.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) tag may be attached to an electronic component in a computer system to enable authentication of the electronic component. A RF reader may receive information stored in the RF tag. An authentication logic coupled to the RF reader may process the received information and compared it with stored information. The received information may include identification of a manufacturer of the electronic component and identification of the RF tag.