Patent ID: 9251340
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: G06F,H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method, in a data processing system comprising a processor and a memory for detecting malicious activity in a functional unit of an IC chip of the data processing system, the method comprising: monitoring, by the processor, a set of activity values associated with a set of functional units; monitoring, by the processor, a set of thermal levels associated with the set of functional units; for a current activity value associated with the functional unit in the set of functional units, determine whether a thermal level associated with the functional unit differs from a verified thermal level for the functional unit beyond a first predetermined threshold, wherein the verified thermal level for the functional unit and a known profile of thread activity levels are identified from a covariance matrix that associates activity values of the functional unit with verified thermal levels for the functional unit; responsive to the thermal level associated with the functional unit differing from the verified thermal level for the functional unit beyond the first predetermined threshold, determine whether there is the known profile of thread activity levels that substantially matches current thread activity levels for the functional unit; responsive to identifying the known profile of thread activity levels that substantially matches the current thread activity levels for the functional unit, compare thread activity levels for the functional unit to the known profile of thread activity levels; and responsive to the thread activity levels for the functional unit differing from the known profile of thread activity levels beyond a second predetermined threshold, send an indication of suspected malicious activity associated with the given functional unit.