Gold™ Secure Computing Corporation
The "Gold 3000™" and "Silver 3000(tm)" are enhancements to a line of security products manufactured by Secure Computing Corp. These small, battery operated devices, create dynamic passwords using Secure Computing's proprietary algorithms. Each dynamic password allows access to a computer system or network one time only. This foils hacking, sniffing, and other methods of stealing passwords. The user has the comfort of knowing that a compromised password cannot be reused.
From an engineering perspective, this assignment demanded that I satisfy several conflicting requirements. Most significantly, the microcomputer in the device must implement a sophisticated algorithm which includes many iterations of the federal data encryption standard (DES), and yet still generate a new password in less than one second. While I could have easily done this with one of many powerful processors, I had two other significant constraints. Also important were the requirements for low cost, and a battery life of at least 7 years! These last two requirements compelled me to choose a 4 bit MCU, with limited memory, from Samsung. By writing the code in assembly language, and paying obsessive attention to every processor cycle and instruction byte, I was able to produce code which met the speed requirement and yet still fit within the available space. By continuously switching the processor into, and out of, run, idle and sleep modes, I was able to meet the power requirements. By its nature, the four bit MCU met the cost requirements.
All trademarks are properties of their registered owners.