Reverse‐safe authentication protocol for secure USB memories

Abstract

USB memory devices are both portable and easily accessible, and have thus become one of the most popular forms of external storage device. However, if a USB device is lost, stolen, or hacked, it may lead to leakage of critical information. It is a logical outcome that malicious individuals will try to steal their colleagues' USB memories. Consequently, various USB products with built-in security functions have been developed. To our knowledge, there has been little or no security analysis and comparison of these devices. This paper explores technological and architectural approaches to secure USB memories while analyzing their vulnerabilities, especially for resistance to reverse engineering attacks on the authentication protocols and data decryption. In this analysis, we classify vulnerabilities of these devices into 12 categories to summarize the current security situations on USB memories. Additionally, we derive a more secure authentication protocol based on our analysis. It is expected for secure USB products, including USB memory devices, to be revised with enhanced authentication protocols as a result of this effort.

Analysis of Authentication Protocol for USB Storage Devices Using Coloured Petri Nets

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A Study on a Secure USB Mechanism That Prevents the Exposure of Authentication Information for Smart Human Care Services

“…The concept was originally introduced by an Israeli IT company in 2000 [1] and has been advanced significantly since then. Indeed, USB technology has been further developed because such devices offer easy connection and disconnection, free data change and deletion, fast data transfer, and high portability [2,3]. In fact, these features of the USB flash drive have made it the most widely used storage unit currently in use [3].…”

“…The secure USB flash drive was developed to solve the problem of data exposure by the security threats described above. A secure USB flash drive is a USB flash drive that comprises a security function designed to safely protect data stored inside a USB and supplements the vulnerability of a conventional USB flash drive with data encryption/decryption, user authentication and identification, prevention of arbitrary data copying, and data erasure technology to protect the data at the time of loss [3,4]. There are many studies on diverse methods of applying these technologies to protect data, which can be broadly divided into the software type and the hardware type.…”