Systems and methods for implementing data security

Abstract

Among other things, we describe systems and method for implementing data security in an autonomous vehicle system. The systems and methods can include inter-process communication security via key management, in which asymmetric cryptography and other validation techniques are used to validate data received from sensors. The systems and method can also include penetrative testing, in which valid sensor inputs are modified and transmitted throughout a distributed network through one or more sensors.

1 . A method comprising:
 for each of one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, digitally signing, using a private key, a portion of data associated with a respective sensor of the one or more sensors such that the portion of data is associated with a digital signature;   validating, by at least one processor, the digital signatures of respective sensors upon booting of each sensor of the autonomous vehicle;   determining, based at least on the validating, that firmware of at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle has been altered; and   disabling, based on the determining, the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising digitally signing the firmware including storing at least one public key in the firmware, the at least one public key being associated with one of the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein digitally signing the firmware uses sensor data including identification data associated with the one or more sensors, the method further comprising anonymizing the identification data before sending the sensor data to the at least one processor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein anonymizing the identification data comprises removing the identification data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the identification data comprises at least one of location data, waveform data, or tag identification data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein anonymizing the identification data comprises obfuscating the identification data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein obfuscating the identification data comprises at least one of: substituting identification data values with secondary identification data values, encrypting the identification data, and shuffling the identification data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein obfuscating the identification data comprises learning, by a machine learning coprocessor, secondary identification features associated with the identification data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising validating the sensor data including determining whether the sensor data is configured in either an expected format, an expected size, or both. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor data includes movement of simulated objected. 
     
     
         11 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of data includes computer executable code. 
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 one or more computer processors; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 for each of one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, digitally sign, using a private key, a portion of data associated with a respective sensor of the one or more sensors such that the portion of data is associated with a digital signature; 
 validate the digital signatures of respective sensors upon booting of each sensor; 
 determine, based at least on the validating, that firmware of at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle has been altered; and 
 disable, based on the determining, the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle. 
   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to:
 for each of one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, digitally sign, using a private key, a portion of data associated with a respective sensor of the one or more sensors such that the portion of data is associated with a digital signature;   validate the digital signatures of respective sensors upon booting of each sensor;   determine, based at least on the validating, that firmware of at least one sensor of the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle has been altered; and   disable, based on the determining, the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein digitally signing comprises storing at least one public key in the one or more computer processors, the at least one public key being associated with one of the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising causing the one or more computer processors to digitally sign the firmware including storing at least one public key in the firmware, the at least one public key being associated with one of the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein digitally signing the firmware uses sensor data including identification data associated with the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the one or more computer processors are further comprised to anonymize the identification data before sending the sensor data to the one or more computer processors. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein anonymizing the identification data comprises removing the identification data. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the identification data comprises at least one of location data, waveform data, or tag identification data. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , further comprising causing the one or more computer processors to digitally sign the firmware including storing at least one public key in the firmware, the at least one public key being associated with one of the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein digitally signing the firmware uses sensor data including identification data associated with the one or more sensors of the autonomous vehicle, and wherein the one or more computer processors are further comprised to anonymize the identification data before sending the sensor data to the one or more computer processors. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 26 , wherein anonymizing the identification data comprises removing the identification data.