Anti-tamper protected enclosure

Abstract

A device for containing sensitive data including a housing, an anti-tamper protected enclosure located within the housing and being adapted to contain the sensitive data, anti-tamper protection circuitry located within the anti-tamper protected enclosure and at least one ball grid array arranged within the housing and mounted on an outer surface of the anti-tamper protected enclosure and electrically coupled to the anti-tamper protection circuitry for protecting against unauthorized access to the interior of the anti-tamper protected enclosure.

1 . A device for containing sensitive data comprising:
 a housing;   an anti-tamper protected enclosure located within said housing and being adapted to contain said sensitive data;   anti-tamper protection circuitry located within said anti-tamper protected enclosure; and   at least one ball grid array device arranged within said housing and mounted on an outer surface of said anti-tamper protected enclosure, said at least one ball grid array device including a multiplicity of balls, at least a plurality of which are electrically coupled to said anti-tamper protection circuitry for protecting against unauthorized access to the interior of said anti-tamper protected enclosure,   said anti-tamper protection circuitry being operative, in the event of physical tampering with at least one of said at least one ball grid array device, to perform at least one of the following actions: generate an alarm indication, disable the device and erase said sensitive data.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , and also comprising a confidential data storage element located within said anti-tamper protected enclosure. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one ball grid array device includes wire-bonded circuitry. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said anti-tamper protected enclosure includes at least one conductor network which is electrically coupled to said anti-tamper protection circuitry. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein said anti-tamper protection circuitry is coupled to said at least one conductor network via said at least one ball grid array device. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein said anti-tamper protection circuitry is coupled to said at least one conductor network by electrical connections extending through vias which are physically protected by said at least one ball grid array device. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein a physical location of said at least one ball grid array device is selected to provide physical protection to at least one electrical connection within said anti-tamper protected enclosure. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said anti-tamper protected enclosure comprises at least one flexible printed circuit board. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said anti-tamper protected enclosure comprises at least one rigid printed circuit board. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said device is a point of sale terminal. 
     
     
         13 . An anti-tamper protected enclosure comprising:
 anti-tamper protection circuitry located within said anti-tamper protected enclosure; and   at least one ball grid array device mounted on an outer surface of said anti-tamper protected enclosure, said at least one ball grid array device including a multiplicity of balls, at least a plurality of which are electrically coupled to said anti-tamper protection circuitry for protecting against unauthorized access to the interior of said anti-tamper protected enclosure,   said anti-tamper protection circuitry being operative, in the event of physical tampering with at least one of said at least one ball grid array device, to generate an alarm indication.   
     
     
         14 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , and also comprising a confidential data storage element located within. 
     
     
         15 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , including at least one conductor network which is electrically coupled to said anti-tamper protection circuitry. 
     
     
         16 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 15 , wherein said anti-tamper protection circuitry is coupled to said at least one conductor network via said at least one ball grid array device. 
     
     
         17 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 16 , wherein said anti-tamper protection circuitry is coupled to said at least one conductor network by electrical connections extending through vias which are physically protected by said at least one ball grid array device. 
     
     
         18 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , wherein a physical location of said at least one ball grid array device is selected to provide physical protection to at least one electrical connection within said anti-tamper protected enclosure. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , wherein said anti-tamper protected enclosure comprises at least one flexible printed circuit board. 
     
     
         21 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , wherein said anti-tamper protected enclosure comprises at least one rigid printed circuit board. 
     
     
         22 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , wherein said anti-tamper protection circuitry includes a comparison circuit. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The anti-tamper protected enclosure according to  claim 13 , wherein said at least one ball grid array device includes wire-bonded circuitry.