PROTECTION & TRUTH - At the moment nobody can tap into your thoughts other than monitoring your behaviour patterns on the internet, during phone calls, texts and emails. Physical torture is one way that brutal regimes extract information from prisoners, but torture is illegal in international law, though most countries practice it or condone it, including the USA and UK. Whereas the National Security Agency (NSA) and equivalent covert agencies in other administrations routinely monitor communications, so abusing their positions of trust. Even Google and other search engines and services are reading your minds with their naughty behavioral monitoring software. This of course breaches privacy laws and your Article 8 right to privacy - but they are all at it and nobody is prosecuting anyone because a valid defense might be discovery of how the target was revealed. Obviously, using illegal methods.

CHRISTMAS GIANT ROBOT ANT PROJECT - DATA SECURITY

It will be fun to incorporate a data logger in a black box. Black boxes are not necessarily black in colour, but are generally fireproof, shock proof, and waterproof containers. They are usually bright orange when used in aircraft.

The black box might include other protection for computer parts and programs, but especially for recorded video that might be useful when it is necessary to identify an assailant or record an engagement, such as in paintball gaming. This feature will help you develop strategy. To prevent opposing teams gaining access to your solid state hard drive, a level of encryption may be an advantage. As we say, this is a bit of fun for your team to explore. There will be a black box of sorts for paintball activities in particular.

Security measures are primarily devoted to making the data on a compromised drive inaccessible to unauthorized users and unauthorized processes, such as may be executed by malware. One common security approach is to encrypt the data for storage, and routinely scan drives for malware with an antivirus program, although other methods are possible.

SOFTWARE ENCRYPTION

Software solutions such as dm-crypt, FreeOTFE, Data Protecto and TrueCrypt allow the contents of a USB drive to be encrypted automatically and transparently. A USB drive is basically solid state memory, a smaller version of a solid state hard drive.

Additional software can be installed on (for example) an external USB drive to prevent access to files in case the drive becomes lost or stolen.

FLIGHT RECORDER - These units have to be tough to survive airplane crashes

HARDWARE ENCRYPTION

Some solid state drives utilize hardware encryption in which microchips within the USB drive provide automatic and transparent encryption. Some manufacturers offer drives that require a pin code to be entered into a physical keypad on the device before allowing access to the drive. The cost of these USB drives can be significant but is starting to fall due to this type of USB drive gaining popularity.

Hardware systems may offer additional features, such as the ability to automatically overwrite the contents of the drive if the wrong password is entered more than a certain number of times.

This type of functionality cannot be provided by a software system since the encrypted data can simply be copied from the drive. However, this form of hardware security can result in data loss if activated accidentally by legitimate users, and strong encryption algorithms essentially make such functionality redundant.

As the encryption keys used in hardware encryption are typically never stored in the computer's memory, technically hardware solutions are less subject to "cold boot" attacks than software-based systems. In reality however, "cold boot" attacks pose little (if any) threat, assuming basic, rudimentary, security precautions are taken with software-based systems.

REMOTE MANAGEMENT

In commercial environments, where most secure solid state drives are used, a central/remote management system may provide organizations with an additional level of IT asset control, significantly reducing the risks of a harmful data breach. This can include initial user deployment and ongoing management, password recovery, data backup, remote tracking of sensitive data, and termination of any issued secure solid state drives. Such management systems are available as software as a service (SaaS), where Internet connectivity is allowed, or as behind-the-firewall solutions.

SaaS is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted. It is sometimes referred to as "on-demand software". SaaS is typically accessed by users using a thin client via a web browser. SaaS has become a common delivery model for many business applications, including office and messaging software, payroll processing software, DBMS software, management software, CAD software, development software, gamification, virtualization, accounting, collaboration, customer relationship management (CRM), management information systems (MIS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), invoicing, human resource management (HRM), talent acquisition (recruitment), content management (CM), antivirus software, and service desk management.

The vast majority of SaaS solutions are based on a multitenant architecture. With this model, a single version of the application, with a single configuration (hardware, network, operating system), is used for all customers ("tenants"). To support scalability, the application is installed on multiple machines (called horizontal scaling). This might be going a little too far for our DinoBots, except where hired or franchised for large scale paintball fun.

PLASTIC BOXES - The ABS project box on the left is an inexpensive waterproof enclosure that would suffice for our purposes if the tail bodywork is reinforced and perhaps lockable. The computer would also have to be low power, or cooling might become a problem. The case on the left is a good example of portable protection for all kinds of delicate electronic equipment weighing up to 340lbs. It is though an expensive item and is not suitable for our robot due to the sheer size. We love the look though.

WHAT IS A BLACK BOX ?

In science, computing, and engineering, a black box is a device, system or object which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics), without any knowledge of its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" (black). Almost anything might be referred to as a black box: a transistor, algorithm, or the human brain.

In our case, the black box is a combination of hard and software with data logging. The first stage of protection might be the box containing the hardware and programs as machine instructions (algorithms) in memory.

WHAT IS AN ALGORITHM ?

In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is a self-contained step-by-step set of operations to be performed. Algorithms exist that perform calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning.

In computer systems, an algorithm is basically an instance of logic written in software by software developers to be effective for the intended "target" computer(s) to produce output from given input. We don't want to go into programming in detail here. See Software.

STEEL BOXES  - Two examples of the popular NEMA industrial grade 316 stainless steel boxes available online from China that claim to be waterproof. What a shame they are not black.

VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS

Event recorders are integrated with many car-borne systems and as such they are an attractive target for enhanced diagnostic and control functions. Some event recorders feature outputs controlling emergency brake (train) systems, and speedometers.

Data storage can be provided by magnetic tape, battery-backed RAM and, more recently, non-volatile EEPROM or Flash Memory overwritten in a FIFO continuous loop. The data is intended for use in the investigation of accidents and incidents but is also used to monitor traction unit performance, the competence of drivers, and general state of the train over a period of time.

This website is Copyright © 2023