Mathematicians Prove That Flash-Memory "Fingerprints" of Electronic Devices Are Truly Unique
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Mathematicians prove that flash-memory 'fingerprints' of electronic devices are truly unique
Experts in applied mathematics at RUDN University have experimentally proven that it is possible to accurately identify electronic devices by defects in flash memory cells. It turns out that the distribution and nature of these defects are unique, and they can play the role of "fingerprints" for memory chips. The new method will improve protection against hacker attacks, as it would create electronic flash keys that cannot be faked. The results of the study are published in the journal IEEE Access.
As information and communication devices-smartphones, fitness bracelets, Wi-Fi equipment, memory devices-are spreading around the world, the issue of protecting them from theft and tampering becomes more and more relevant. A way to accurately identify each device is needed. Existing identification methods can be divided into two types: virtual and physical. Virtual methods are applied to the software (firmware) of a device. It could be, for example, a unique number that is "hard written" into the device. The problem is that any software can be hacked and data changed. Physical methods deal with hardware. These include the identification of a device by unique fluctuations of its radio frequency. However, radio signals are subject to interference.
One of the new methods of physical identification is based on damaged flash memory cells. Due to microscopic manufacturing defects, damaged cells randomly appear in the memory blocks of a device. The pattern of these microdefects is unique, and that means that one device can be distinguished by it from another. Previously, however, it has not been possible to numerically prove the effectiveness of this method, so the experts from RUDN University undertook to verify the effectiveness of this technology.
Unique Degradation of Flash Memory as an Identifier of ICT Device (open, DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2932804) (DX)
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