US 7,386,735 B2
Method for securing the authenticity of hardware and software in a networked system
Peter Eitel, Brunnthal (Germany); Guido Heidt, Landsberg/Lech (Germany); and Uwe Retzow, München (Germany)
Assigned to Siemens AG, Munich (Germany)
Filed on Aug. 15, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/219,602.
Application 10/219602 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP01/01055, filed on Feb. 01, 2001.
Claims priority of application No. 00103075 (EP), filed on Feb. 15, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2003/0079141 A1, Apr. 24, 2003
Int. Cl. G06F 11/30 (2006.01); G06F 12/14 (2006.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 713—194  [726/1; 726/2; 726/22; 726/26; 726/34] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A networked system, comprising:
an internal system bus;
a first remotely located system component and a second remotely located system component, the first and the second system components being remotely located from each other, the first remotely located system component and the second remotely located system component each comprising a hardware and a software module and the first remotely located system component and the second remotely located system component being connected via the internal system bus;
wherein each of the first remotely located system component and the second remotely located system component stores an authentication feature for a hardware module or an integrity securing feature for a software module;
an internal central testing module attached to the internal system bus and connected to the first remotely located system component and the second remotely located system component only via the internal system bus, the internal central testing module being adapted to centrally test the authentication features and/or the integrity securing features, the central testing including a data exchange between the internal central testing module and a respective remotely located system component wherein the internal central testing module has stored the authentification features or the integrity securing features from the first remotely located system component and the second remotely located system component and wherein the internal central testing module is implemented to centrally test the authentication features or the integrity securing features stored in the first remotely located system component and the second remotely located system component by using the authentication features or the integrity securing features of each of the first and the second remotely located system components stored in the internal central testing module in response to
a request from the internal central testing module,
a request from the first remotely located system component or from the second remotely located system component,
powering down or switching off the internal system, or
in specific time intervals during operation, and
an input/output interface for accessing data and functions of the internal system from an external entity having access rights, the internal system comprising the internal system bus, the first and the second remotely located system components and the internal central testing modules,
wherein the input/output interface is implemented within the internal central testing module,
wherein the input/output interface forms the only external accessing possibility to the internal system, and
wherein the internal central testing module is further implemented in order to perform an authentication of the external entity performing an external access and a testing of the access rights of the external entity performing an external access to the internal system, wherein the external access to the internal system is only performable via the input/output interface.