White paper: distance bounding protocol for Bluetooth secure access

The importance of a distance bounding protocol

Wireless systems such as passive keyless entrance, contactless payment and smart access control often rely on secure proximity information. That makes them extremely vulnerable to relay attacks, which can result in serious security threats. Fortunately, you can effectively prevent relay attacks by using a secure distance bounding (SDB) solution.

This white paper describes such a secure and accurate distance bounding protocol for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radios.

What you will learn

Download the white paper to get:

• a detailed description of imec’s secure distance bounding protocol for secure and accurate communication between BLE radios
• an analysis of how this SDB protocol mitigates existing and foreseeable future relay attacks such as phase manipulation and Early-Detect and Late-Commit (EDLC)
• a demonstration of the implementation of the entire solution on an NXP KW36 Bluetooth Low Energy chip, resulting in an accuracy of less than 30 cm in a practical multi-path indoor environment