CASE STUDY SNAPSHOT
Customer : An established organization serving end-customer in Defense domainSize : 51-200
Project vertical : Enterprise Security
Challenge : Leverage the power of a custom quantum cryptographic chip with mobile app and increase security quotient
Solution : Quantum Secure BLE module with Embedded Security
Services Availed : Turnkey Product Engineering Services, UI/UX design
Tools and Technologies :
- MCU : Nordic nRF52811
- Programming Language : C
- Tools : nRF Connect SDK
- Algorithms : Asymmetric Cryptography
INTRODUCTION
Our customer is an established organization in the field of quantum cryptography offering their own series of cryptographic chips. As a part of their extended offerings, they are offering integrated software applications that can be used directly by their end customers.
They approached Embien to develop a highly secure ecosystem to develop a Quantum secure messenger application, for which Embien developed all the components with the Quantum Secure BLE module as the core security aspect.
CHALLENGE
The Quantum Cryptography Chip had a custom interface, and it was not possible to directly connect in any mobile app. Also, there should not be any way to compromise the security aspect of the design. And there was a need to ensure that even if someone acquires the physical device, they should not be able to access their messages.
SOLUTION
Considering this unique use case, Embien proposed a BLE based interface for the Quantum chip. The quantum chip was connected to Nordic nRF52811 MCU over its custom digital interface. The data is acquired effectively by the MCU and transferred to the mobile app securely.
QC powered BLE dongle is located at the heart of the system, it is a battery operable device that generates random numbers for session keys via quantum chip. The generated session key random numbers were sent to the mobile application via BLE channel, secured by Falcon over NTRU (Nth Degree Truncated Polynomial Ring). This Dongle was used to verify the authenticity of the end user, and hence anyone who possesses the QSM (Quantum Security Module) has the capability to carry out communication with the Secure Messenger.
The authenticity of the Dongle was ensured by using PQC KEM (Key Encapsulation Mechanism). At the production process, a unique private-public key pair was created for each Dongle. The private key was stored inside the Dongle and the public key was stored along with the Dongle ID in the server.
Quantum Secure BLE Module - Block Diagram
Embien also optimized the power consumption of the system over a sequence of steps where initially the unnecessary pins/peripherals are powered off. Then the core is put into deep sleep mode and woken up only when necessary. Furthermore, the BLE connection characteristics are fine tuned to ensure that the power consumption of the RF section is as low as possible. With this, the battery life was prolonged preventing frequent recharges.
PIN based pairing mechanism and other security mechanisms were added to further strengthen the resilience of the Quantum Secure BLE module. The firmware itself was protected by the Secure boot features to prevent unauthorized access or tampering. The software was written in a clean way in compliance with the MISRA standards. A sleek mechanical enclosure was designed and validated using rapid prototyping techniques like 3D printing and later manufactured using injection molding.
Our QA testing team showcased their prowess in Embedded Testing and validated the product features thoroughly. Many unexpected use cases not originally thought off were identified and handled with concurrence from the customer.
BENEFITS
With the support of our product engineering services, the customer was quickly able to come up with the Quantum Secure BLE module and made it part of their offering. Some of the benefits we offered to the customer are.
- Highly secure dongle design with multiple layers of security
- Firmware configured to ensure Confidentiality, Integrity, and Authenticity before even running
- Supported Custom interface on QC side and secure BLE on mobile app side
- Optimzed power consumption for longer battery life
- Secure Firmware update support to enable future scalability
CONCLUSION
With support of our Turnkey Product development services support, the customer was able to design, develop and manufacture the Quantum Secure BLE module in a short period of time.