Zero-Remanence Anti-Tamper Cryptokey Storage Device

This Small Business Innovation Research project proposal describes a program to develop a low-power, fast, non-volatile anti-tamper (AT) memory, sufficient in size for storing encryption keys that has the capability to self-erase with no data remanence and without applied power in response to tampering with the enclosure of a protected volume. The AT memory will also include an electrically programmed rapid bulk erase capability, as well as a signal line to indicate that a tampering event has been detected. The device, called an anti-tamper magnetic random access memory (AT-MRAM) is intended for volume protection of military electronics systems by providing the capability to detect and respond to invasive tampering of a protected volume by irrecoverably erasing a long unique code stored within the AT-MRAM. The AT-MRAM prototype will be implemented as a stand-alone 256-bit cryptokey memory for volumetric anti-tamper applications, and with further research and development the memory capacity could be increased to hold data other than encryption keys.