Anonymous Verifiable Public Key Certificates for Privacy-Preserving Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current public key infrastructure (PKI) methodologies for online authentication are vulnerable to user identification and tracking, and private key compromise due to the susceptibility of digital certificates to misuse and interception.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an anonymous and verifiable 'blind' certificate set created by a certificate authority using a fixed-size set of PKI key pairs, where a subset of key pairs is randomly selected for each user, providing anonymity through key reuse and enhanced security through multiple certificate authentication and sequential encryption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional PKI certificates are used for authentication, then user identity can be verified, but user anonymity is compromised and users can be tracked
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the authentication process by separating identity verification from personal identification. Multiple certificates are issued to each user, each containing a different public key, allowing the system to verify authentication credentials without being able to uniquely identify the user. This segmentation breaks the link between successful authentication and user tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of certificate issuance by issuing multiple certificates with different public keys to the same user, rather than a single certificate. This parameter change allows the verification function to remain intact while the identification function is degraded, as the provider cannot determine which certificate (and thus which user identity) is being used.
2Ease of operation
If a single private key is used for authentication, then the authentication process is simple, but the system is vulnerable to key compromise and interception
Solution Approach 1:
The private key security function is segmented by issuing multiple private keys to each user. If one private key is compromised, the user can revoke only that specific certificate while retaining other certificates for continued authentication. This segmentation isolates the impact of key compromise to a single certificate rather than affecting the entire authentication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides beforehand cushioning by pre-issuing multiple certificates and private keys to each user before any compromise occurs. This allows the user to have backup authentication credentials ready, so if one key is intercepted or compromised, authentication can continue using other certificates, cushioning against the harmful effect of key compromise.
3Reliability
If multiple certificates are used for authentication, then security is enhanced against key compromise, but the authentication process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The client software automatically manages the complexity of multiple certificates by selecting and presenting appropriate certificates without requiring user intervention. The system performs self-service functions including certificate selection, presentation to the provider, and key management, thereby enhancing security while minimizing the perceived complexity for the user.
Data Source
AI summary
The anonymity of a user at a client computer may be preserved when authenticating with an on-line service or content provider through the use of an anonymous and verifiable (i.e., “blind”) certificate set that is created by a certificate authority from a fixed-size set of PKI key pairs. The certificate authority randomly selects a subset of PKI key pairs to generate the blind certificate set where each certificate in the set includes a respective public key from the PKI key pair subset. The certificate authority also sends the private keys from the PKI key pair subset to the user. During authentication, the client computer is configured to randomly select a subset of one or more certificates from the set to present to the provider. The provider will encrypt content using the public keys in the subset of certificates and the client will decrypt the content with the corresponding private keys.