Ciphertext Nullification Logic for Authenticated Homomorphic Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hybrid or transciphering encryption mechanisms lack the ability to authenticate ciphertexts and perform authenticity checks, especially when using homomorphic encryption (HE), leading to potential data tampering and security breaches in cloud computing environments.
Innovation Solution
An Authentication Transciphering (AT) computing tool that integrates Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD) encryption schemes with HE, enabling authentication checks and nullifying operations on unauthenticated ciphertexts within HE computations, optimizing the location of nullification logic based on configuration parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If homomorphic encryption is used for cloud computing data processing, then data confidentiality is improved, but the ability to authenticate ciphertexts and detect tampering deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines homomorphic encryption (HE) with authenticated encryption with associated data (AEAD) schemes to create a hybrid encryption mechanism. This merging allows the system to simultaneously achieve data confidentiality through HE and ciphertext authentication through AEAD, resolving the contradiction between confidentiality and tampering detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cryptographic system that integrates multiple encryption schemes (HE and AEAD) into a unified hybrid encryption mechanism. This composite approach leverages the strengths of both schemes: HE provides confidentiality while AEAD provides authentication and tampering detection, thereby resolving the technical contradiction
2Reliability
If nullification logic is added to authenticate ciphertexts in HE computations, then security is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs authentication checks on ciphertexts at the beginning of the computational process, before the main HE computations are executed. This preliminary action allows the system to detect and nullify tampered ciphertexts early, avoiding wasted computational resources on invalid data while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the authentication check as a separate, independent operation from the main HE computation flow. By isolating the authentication logic into distinct nullification operations, the system can efficiently verify ciphertext integrity without adding complexity to the core computational algorithms
3Reliability
If authentication checks are performed on all ciphertexts, then data integrity is improved, but processing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an optimization where authentication checks are selectively applied based on the computational context. When a ciphertext is determined to be invalid through authentication failure, the system skips subsequent computations involving that ciphertext and directly nullifies the result, thereby maintaining integrity while improving processing speed by avoiding unnecessary computational steps
Data Source
AI summary
Mechanisms are provided for performing ciphertext nullification operations. The mechanisms receive a ciphertext in nullification logic of a cryptographic circuit, where the cryptographic circuit comprises one or more cryptographic functions to be performed on the ciphertext. The mechanisms determine, by the nullification logic, whether the received ciphertext is to be nullified. In response to the determination indicating that the ciphertext is to be nullified, the mechanisms generate, by the nullification logic, a nullified ciphertext and output the nullified ciphertext. In response to the determination indicating that the ciphertext is not to be nullified, the nullification logic outputs the received ciphertext.