Re: [HV-INFO] Enova hardware encryption: false sense of security

[rwann () enovatech com]

Hello,
 
This is Robert Wann and I am representing Enova Technology. I'd like to respond to your published article about the so 
called "False Sense of Security" for balanced review.
 
My comments follow my signature line and I look forward to your publishing of our comments (Vendor Comments) to the 
same sites to balance the view and to give us an opportunity defending ourselves. Thank you and I look forward to 
hearing from you.
 
Regards,
Robert Wann
CTO
Enova Technology
http://www.enovatech.com
Office +886 3 577 2767
Fax +886 3 577 2770
 
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Here Enova Technology comments
 
Speaking of X-Wall not being able to hold the secret of the secret key, it is actually an intended engineering design 
and has been praised by many well known cryptographers. As X-Wall does not equip with any none-volatile memory and all 
the secret keys reside in the volatile memory, the security of data-at-rest is guaranteed as long as the power is shut 
down or the computer goes into hibernation state. The design was meant for the authentication part to hold the secret 
value as it makes sense that secret key will only be released upon correct authentication. Advantage in this design 
also guarantee there won’t be a risk of secret been extracted going through sophisticated semiconductor layer 
extraction method.

 

Speaking of the Enova key fob, there is a reverse diode that safeguards the accidental insertion of the key fob into a 
real 1394 (firewire) port that carries voltage more than 18 Volts. As a result, damage to the key fob due to mismatch 
of the firewire port can be avoided.

 

We would agree that a capable engineer would be able to apply electrical wire onto the serial bus and snoop the 
protocol to get to the secret key. But this is our simplest and basic design which was engineered to educate/show most 
of our customers how the X-Wall will be actually functioning. To show the exact opposite, we also engineered a 
sophisticated FIPS certified smartcard authenticated X-Wall design (to view more details, visit our website at 
http://www.enovatech.net/products/reference/secureusb_pro.htm). Being said, to snoop an electrical protocol maybe still 
a bit tougher than simply installing a key logger or camera for the password entry. Anyway, to conduct such hot plug 
electrical protocol attack, the attacker needs to get hold of the key fob as well as the circuit board and X-Walled 
hard drive. 

 

To prevent serial bus sniffing, apply the harden epoxy on the X-Wall such that it creates chemical effect with the 
molding compound of the X-Wall to effectively avoid such attack as the attempts to use special dissolvent would 
effectively destroy the molding compound of the X-Wall thus destroy the circuitry. Alternatively, use the FIPS 
certified authentication mechanism to hold the secret key, which can only be released upon correct authentication.

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