Continuous Authentication for Cybersecurity
Princeton Docket # 16-3233
Computing devices and servers need to be protected against unauthorized access, because such systems may store sensitive information, and the information can be used to access other restricted systems and resources.
Most computer systems only authenticate users once at the time of initial login, which can lead to security concerns. Continuous authentication has been explored as an approach for alleviating such concerns. Previous methods for continuous authentication primarily use biometrics (e.g., fingerprint and face recognition) or behaviometrics (e.g., key stroke patterns).
Inventors at Princeton University in the Department of Electrical Engineering have developed a novel continuous authentication system named CABA that is inspired by and leverages the emergence of sensors for pervasive and continuous health monitoring. CABA authenticates users based on their BioAura, an ensemble of biomedical signals that can be collected continuously and non-invasively using wearable medical devices. While each such signal may not be highly discriminative by itself, the inventors demonstrated that a collection of such signals, along with robust machine learning, can provide high accuracy levels. The feasibility of CABA has been proved through analysis of traces from the MIMIC-II dataset.
CABA can potentially be used to protect personal computing devices and servers, software applications, and restricted areas. There are two different approaches to exploit the BioAura scheme: (i) users can use their own computing resources to implement a stand-alone version of the scheme, or (ii) users can simply use decisions made by a version of the scheme implemented on a trusted server. CABA is able to accommodate both approaches.
Applications:
• Cybersecurity
• Personal computing devices and servers
• Software applications
• Restricted areas
Advantages:
• Continuous authentication
• Leverages biomedical signals from wearable medical devices
• High accuracy
• Can be integrated in personal devices or software products
Key Words
wireless communication, security, continuous authentication, wearable medical devices, personal computing devices, software applications, restricted areas
The Faculty inventor
Niraj K. Jha, Professor of Electrical Engineering
Professor Niraj K. Jha completed his doctoral studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1985. He holds a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a B.Tech. in Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He joined Princeton University in 1987, achieving the rank of Professor in 1998.
Prof. Jha is a fellow of IEEE and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and has served as the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on VLSI Systems, and as an Associate Editor of several journals. He has been the recipient of the AT&T Foundation Award, NEC Preceptorship Award for Research Excellence, the NCR Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Princeton University Graduate Mentoring Award. He has co-authored four books, in addition to authoring or co-authoring 15 book chapters and more than 410 technical papers, and received nine best paper awards. In addition, his papers have been selected for “The Best of ICCAD: A collection of the best IEEE International Conference on Computer-Aided Design papers of the past 20 years,” by IEEE Micro Magazine as top picks from the 2005 and 2007 Computer Architecture conferences, and two were included among the most influential papers of the last 10 years at the IEEE Design Automation and Test in Europe Conference. He holds 16 U.S. patents.
The research interests of the Jha lab include power- and temperature-aware chip multiprocessor (CMP) and multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) design, design algorithms and tools for FinFETs, three-dimensional monolithic integrated circuit (3D IC) design, embedded system analysis and design, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital system testing, computer security, quantum circuit design, and energy-efficient buildings.
Intellectual Property Status
Patent applications are pending. Princeton is seeking industrial collaborators for further development and commercialization of this technology.
Contact
Laurie Tzodikov
Princeton University Office of Technology Licensing • (609) 258-7256• tzodikov@princeton.edu