Hardware-Based Authentication for the Internet of Things

Entity authentication is one of the most fundamental problems in computer security. Implementation of any authentication protocol requires the solution of several sub-problems, such as the problems regarding secret sharing, key generation, key storage and key verification. With the advent of the Internet-of-Things(IoT), authentication becomes a pivotal concern in the security of IoT systems. Interconnected components of IoT devices normally contains sensors, actuators, relays, and processing and control equipment that are designed with the limited budget on power, cost and area. As a result, incorporating security protocols in such resource constrained IoT components can be rather challenging. To address this issue, in this dissertation, we design and develop hardware oriented lightweight protocols for the authentication of users, devices and data. These protocols utilize physical properties of memory components, computing units, and hardware clocks on the IoT device. Recent works on device authentication using physically uncloneable functions can render the problem of entity authentication and verification based on the hardware properties tractable. Our studies reveal that non-linear characteristics of resistive memories can be useful in solving several problems regarding authentication. Therefore, in this dissertation, first we explore the ideas of secret sharing using threshold circuits and non-volatile memory components. Inspired by the concepts of visual cryptography, we identify the promises of resistive memory based circuits in lightweight secret sharing and multi-user authentication. Furthermore, the additive and monotonic properties of non-volatile memory components can be useful in addressing the challenges of key storage. Overall, in the first part of this dissertation, we present our research on design of low-cost, non-crypto based user authentication schemes using physical properties of a resistive memory based system. In the second part of the dissertation, we demonstrate that in computational units, the emerging voltage over-scaling (VOS)-based computing leaves a process variation dependent error signature in the approximate results. Current research works in VOS focus on reducing these errors to provide acceptable results from the computation point of view. Interestingly, with extreme VOS, these errors can also reveal significant information about the underlying physical system and random variations therein. As a result, these errors can be methodically profiled to extract information about the process variation in a computational unit. Therefore, in this dissertation, we also employ error profiling techniques along with the basic key-based authentication schemes to create lightweight device authentication protocols. Finally, intrinsic properties of hardware clocks can provide novel ways of device fingerprinting and authentication. The clock signatures can be used for real-time authentication of electromagnetic signals where some temporal properties of the signal are known. In the last part of this dissertation, we elaborate our studies on data authentication using hardware clocks. As an example, we propose a GPS signature authentication and spoofing detection technique using physical properties such as the frequency skew and drift of hardware clocks in GPS receivers

The Machine that Lives Forever

Design an intelligent micromachine that can self-power and sustain from environmental energy scavenging to achieve an autonomous device that can communicate at will with peers indefinitely. Explore sleep/wake hibernation strategies coupled with food scavenging off-grid traits to identify the tightest work to sleep efficiency schedule, incorporating adaptive reconfiguration to manage significant environmental impacts. Capture, store and manage background radiations and stray RF signals to feed on in a continued effort to make intelligent survival decisions and oversee management protocols. Ensure that every micro Watt of usable energy gets extracted from every part of the harvest and then forward-scheduled it for productive use. Finally, employ natures tricks and experience to introduce essential personality traits, pursuing maximising survival numbers and increasing dispersal target area sizes of large self-sufficient wireless sensor deployments. This research intends to provide a closely coupled software-hardware foundation that aids implementers in intelligently harnessing and using tiny amounts of ambient energy in a highly autonomous way. This platform then continues on to explore ways of maximising the efficient usage of the harvested energy using various hibernation/wake strategies and then making objective comparisons with proposed intelligent energy management protocols. Finally, the protocol extends to enable the device to manage its personal survival possibilities so the devices can use an evolutional personality-based approach to deal with the unknown environmental situations they will encounter. This work examines a machine that can self-power and sustain from environmental energy scavenging with the aim to live forever. Living forever implies a brain (microcontroller) that can manage energy and budget for continuous faculty. With these objectives, sleep/wake/hibernation and scavenging strategies are examined to efficiently schedule resources within a transient environment. Example harvesting includes induced and background radiation. Intelligent, biologically-inspired strategies are adopted in forward-scheduling strategies given temporal energy relative to the machine’s function (the Walton)

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2022-2023

Southern Adventist University\u27s undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2022-2023.https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/undergrad_catalog/1121/thumbnail.jp

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2023-2024

Southern Adventist University\u27s undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2023-2024.https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/undergrad_catalog/1123/thumbnail.jp

Textile UHF-RFID antenna sensors based on material features, interfaces and application scenarios

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacions, amb una secció retallada per drets de l'editor. In reference to IEEE copyrighted material which is used with permission in this thesis, the IEEE does not endorse any of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya's products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. If interested in reprinting/republishing IEEE copyrighted material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution, please go to http://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/rights_link.html to learn how to obtain a License from RightsLink.Radio frequency identification over measurable ultra-high frequency textile substrates (UHF-RFID) is a promising technology to develop new applications in the field of health and the Internet of Things (IOT), due to the massive use of fabrics and the technological maturity of embroidery techniques. This thesis is the result of a compendium of publications on this topic. First, as a result of the analysis of the state of art, a systematic review entitled 'Wearable textile UHF-RFID sensors: A systematic review' has been published. The thesis aims to improve research on UHF-RFID textile-based sensor technology. Thanks to the analysis of the state of art, three novel research objectives have been set that are worth exploring. The first is to study novel detection functions for textile UHF-RFID based sensor technology; the second is to find a connection/interface solution between textile antennas and integrated circuit (IC) chips and the third is to reduce the costs of such technology to promote future commercial applications. To contextualize the thesis, it includes the necessary theoretical fundamentals and the manufacturing and characterization methods used during it. As a result of the work derived from the first objective, a scientific article entitled “Textile UHF-RFID Antenna Sensor for Measurements of Sucrose Solutions in Different Levels of Concentration” has been published. In this work, a textile UHF-RFID tag with two detection positions is proposed for sucrose solution measurements. The two detection positions with the different detection functions show good performance and can offer two options for future full applications. In addition, another scientific article entitled “ Textile UHF-RFID Antenna Embroidered on Surgical Masks for Future Textile Sensing Applications” has been published to support the first objective. The inspiration for this work came from the current pandemic situation. This work develops three progressive designs of textile UHF-RFID antennas over surgical masks due to the current global epidemic situation. Reliability testing demonstrated that the proposed designs can be used for human healthcare focused applications. As a result of the second objective, a research article entitled 'Experimental Comparison of Three Electro-textile Interfaces for Textile UHF-RFID Tags on Clothes' has been published. This work proposes three electro-textile interfaces integrated with the corresponding textile UHF-RFID antennas and provides the chip-textile connection solutions (through sewing, push buttons and insertion). As a result of this objective, an electro-textile interconnect system has been proposed together with its electrical model, which allows the correct adaptation of impedances between the RFID antennas and the integrated circuit. It is worth noting that the mixed-use feasibility of the proposed electro-textile interfaces and the designed textile UHF-RFID antennas has been verified, reducing the cost in the design procedure in applications where the read range requirements of the order of 1 meter. The third objective has been achieved and exposed by a scientific article entitled 'Electro-textile UHF-RFID Compression Sensor for Health-caring Applications'. It proposes a single UHF-RFID based compression textile sensor that can be used simultaneously in two different healthcare application scenarios, which directly impacts on cost reduction.La identificación por radiofrecuencia sobre substratos textiles de ultra alta frecuencia (UHF-RFID) con capacidad de medida es una tecnología prometedora para desarrollar nuevas aplicaciones en el campo de la salud y el Internet de las cosas (IOT), debido a la masiva utilización de los tejidos y a la madurez tecnológica de las técnicas de bordado. Esta tesis es el resultado de un compendio de publicaciones sobre dicha temática. En primer lugar, como resultado del análisis del estado del arte se ha publicado una revisión sistemática titulada 'Wearable textile UHF-RFID sensors: A systematic review'. La tesis tiene como objetivo mejorar la investigación sobre la tecnología de sensores basada en textiles UHF-RFID. Gracias al análisis del estado del arte se han fijado tres objetivos de investigación novedosos que vale la pena explorar. El primero es estudiar funciones de detección novedosas para la tecnología de sensores basada en UHF-RFID textiles; el segundo es encontrar una solución de conexión/interfaz entre antenas textiles y chips de circuito integrado (IC) y el tercero es la reducción de costes de dicha tecnología para promover futuras aplicaciones comerciales. Para contextualizar la tesis, ésta incluye los fundamentos teóricos necesarios y los métodos de fabricación y caracterización utilizados durante la misma. Como resultado del trabajo derivado del primer objetivo, se ha publicado un artículo científico titulado “Textile UHF-RFID Antenna Sensor for Measurements of Sucrose Solutions in Different Levels of Concentration”. En este trabajo, se propone una etiqueta UHF-RFID textil con dos posiciones de detección para mediciones de solución de sacarosa. Las dos posiciones de detección con las diferentes funciones de detección muestran un buen rendimiento y pueden ofrecer dos opciones para futuras aplicaciones completas. Además, se ha publicado otro artículo científico titulado "Textile UHF-RFID Antenna Embroidered on Surgical Masks for Future Textile Sensing Applications" para respaldar el primer objetivo. La inspiración para este trabajo vino de la actual situación de pandemia. En este trabajo se desarrollan tres diseños progresivos de antenas UHF-RFID textiles sobre mascarillas quirúrgicas debido a la situación epidémica mundial actual. Las pruebas de fiabilidad demostraron que los diseños propuestos se pueden usar para aplicaciones centradas en el cuidado de las personas. Como resultado del segundo objetivo, se ha publicado un artículo de investigación titulado 'Experimental Comparison of Three Electro-textile Interfaces for Textile UHF-RFID Tags on Clothes'. En este trabajo se proponen tres interfaces electro-textiles integradas con las correspondientes antenas UHF-RFID textiles y se aportan las soluciones de conexión chip-textil (mediante costura, botones a presión e inserción). Como resultado de este objetivo, se ha propuesto un sistema de interconexión electro-textil junto con su modelo eléctrico, lo que permite la correcta adaptación de impedancias entre las antenas RFID y el circuito integrado. Vale la pena señalar que se ha verificado la viabilidad de uso mixto de las interfaces electro-textiles propuestas y las antenas UHF-RFID textiles diseñadas, lo que reduce el coste en el procedimiento de diseño en aplicaciones donde los requerimientos de rango de lectura del orden de 1 metro. El tercer objetivo se ha alcanzado y expuesto mediante un artículo científico titulado 'Electro-textile UHF-RFID Compression Sensor for Health-caring Applications'. En él, se propone un único sensor textil de compresión basado en UHF-RFID que puede ser utilizado a la vez en dosPostprint (published version

Investigation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) released as a result of spoilage in whole broccoli, carrots, onions and potatoes with HS-SPME and GC-MS

Vegetable spoilage renders a product undesirable due to changes in sensory characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in the fingerprint of VOC composition that occur as a result of spoilage in broccoli, carrots, onions and potatoes. SPME and GC-MS techniques were used to identify and determine the relative abundance of VOC associated with both fresh and spoilt vegetables. Although a number of similar compounds were detected in varying quantities in the headspace of fresh and spoilt samples, certain compounds which were detected in the headspace of spoilt vegetables were however absent in fresh samples. Analysis of the headspace of fresh vegetables indicated the presence of a variety of alkanes, alkenes and terpenes. Among VOCs identified in the spoilt samples were dimethyl disulphide and dimethyl sulphide in broccoli; Ethyl propanoate and Butyl acetate in carrots; 1-Propanethioland 2-Hexyl-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone in onions; and 2, 3-Butanediol in potatoes. The overall results of this study indicate the presence of VOCs that can serve as potential biomarkers for early detection of quality deterioration and in turn enhance operational and quality control decisions in the vegetable industry