Countermeasures to Covert Access Methods to Reduce Attack Susceptibility and Ensure Trust

Sophisticated methods for compromising computer systems have continuously shown their ability to defeat current operating system and network defenses. Processes such as the BIOS, hardware device drivers, and COTS hardware from a non-trusted supply chain have been identified to include malware or Trojan horse applications. These subversive programs provide attackers with gaping holes from which they can pirate software, exfiltrate data, execute processes, alter critical information, or control network end-nodes. The biggest problem with many attacks of this magnitude is that they lie in areas of the computer system which are not easily accessible through software-only approaches. As such, the goal of our proposed technology is to provide protection at the hardware level through a combination of software and hardware systems that will monitor low-level access to critical system devices including hard disks, memory, and peripherals.