Security-Enabled Near-Field Communication Tag with Flexible Architecture Supporting Asymmetric Cryptography

Security-Enabled Near-Field Communication Tag with Flexible Architecture Supporting Asymmetric Cryptography
Authors:P. M. SANDHYA, K. DHANUNJAYA

Abstract: This paper presents the design and implementation of a complete near-field communication (NFC) tag system that supports high-security features. The tag design contains all hardware modules required for a practical realization, which are: analog 13.56-MHz radio-frequency identification (RFID) front-end, a digital part that includes a tiny (programmable) 8-b microcontroller, a framing logic for data transmission, a memory unit, and a crypto unit. All components have been highly optimized to meet the fierce requirements of passively powered RFID devices while providing a high level of flexibility and security. The tag is fully compliant with the NFC Forum Type-4 specification and supports the ISO/IEC 14443A (layer 1–4) communication protocol as well as block transmission according to ISO/IEC 7816. Its security features include support of encryption and decryption using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-128), the generation of digital signatures using the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm according to NIST P-192, and several countermeasures against common implementation attacks, such as side-channel attacks and fault analyses. The chip has been fabricated in a 0.35-μm CMOS process technology, and requires 49 999 GEs of chip area in total (including digital parts and analog front-end). Finally, we present a practical realization of our design that can be powered passively by a conventional NFC enabled mobile phone for realizing proof-of-origin applications to prevent counterfeiting of goods, or to provide location-aware services using RFID technology. 

Keywords: 8-B Microcontroller, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Elliptic Curve Cryptography, Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), Embedded System, Implementation Security, Near-Field Communication (NFC), RadioFrequency Identification (RFID), VLSI Design.

INTRODUCTION 

          Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless communication technique that has become increasingly important in the last decade. Applications such as electronic passports, logistics, animal identification, and car immobilizers already make use of this technology. A widely-used data-transmission standard based on RFID technology is near-field communication (NFC). With the integration of NFC functionality into the latest generation of mobile phones (Samsung Galaxy Nexus, HTC Ruby) a further spread of RFID technology is expected, paving the way for new applications. These new applications will have increased demand concerning the functionality provided by the RFID system, especially in the context of security and privacy. In a typical RFID system, a reader (e.g., a mobile phone) and a tag communicate remotely by means of an RF field. Most of the tags (more than 2 billion were sold in 2011) are so-called passive tags that also receive their power supply from the RF field. A passive tag is basically a microchip attached to an antenna.

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