Asymmetric Cryptography One-Time Password Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current authentication systems using symmetric key cryptography for one-time passwords face challenges in securing server-side key storage, making them vulnerable to attacks and requiring expensive hardware security modules.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a one-time password system based on asymmetric cryptography, where the user device stores a private key and the authentication server stores a public key, eliminating the need for secret key storage and enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If symmetric key cryptography is used for one-time password authentication, then authentication functionality is achieved, but server-side key storage security is compromised and expensive hardware security modules are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetric cryptography (public-key cryptography) to replace symmetric key cryptography in the one-time password authentication system. The server stores only public keys instead of secret keys, while user devices hold private keys. This asymmetric approach eliminates the need for expensive hardware security modules on the server side while maintaining strong security, as private keys never leave user devices and public keys cannot be used to derive private keys or past/future OTPs.
2Reliability
If symmetric key cryptography is used for one-time password authentication, then authentication functionality is achieved, but secret key storage protection burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric cryptography where the server stores only public keys that do not require protective measures, while private keys remain securely stored in user devices. This eliminates the burden of protecting secret keys on the server side, as public keys cannot be used to compromise security or derive private keys. The key management becomes significantly simpler while maintaining strong authentication security.
3Reliability
If asymmetric cryptography is implemented for one-time password, then server-side key storage security is improved, but cryptographic system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the secret key management burden from the server side and places it exclusively on user devices. The server's role is simplified to storing and verifying public keys, which are mathematically one-way functions and cannot be compromised to derive private keys. This extraction of the secret management problem resolves the security issue while the increased cryptographic complexity is confined to user devices, not affecting server infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system, apparatus, method, and machine readable medium are described for authentication with asymmetric cryptography. For example, a method in accordance with one embodiment comprises: generating a challenge at a server; encrypting the challenge at the server using a public encryption key; transmitting the encrypted challenge to a connected device having a first connection over a network with the server; providing the encrypted challenge from the connected device to a user device; decrypting the encrypted challenge using a private encryption key corresponding to the public encryption key to determine the challenge; converting the challenge to a converted challenge, the converted challenge having a different format than the original challenge; receiving the converted challenge at the connected device and providing the converted challenge from the connected device to the server; and validating the converted challenge at the server to authenticate the user.