Authenticator Device for Secured File Access via Dynamic Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing document security methods, such as password protection and encryption, can be compromised if the password or security key is compromised, leading to unauthorized access to secured files.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an authenticator device that requires a separate security key for access, which can be obtained through localized communication methods like QR codes, NFC, or RFID, and further secured with multiple layers of encryption, ensuring that the security key is not stored on the access device and must be re-obtained for each access attempt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a password or security key is used to protect a file, then the file can be accessed by authorized users, but the security is compromised if the password or key is intercepted or stolen
Solution Approach 1:
The security system is segmented into multiple independent components: the file encryption key, the authenticator code generated by the authenticator device, and the localized communication channel. Each component alone is insufficient to compromise the file security, as the file requires both the encryption key and the time-varying authenticator code to be decrypted. This segmentation prevents a single point of failure that would exist with traditional password-based systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The authenticator code is dynamic and time-varying rather than static like traditional passwords. The code changes continuously based on time and is generated by the authenticator device, making it impossible to reuse or predict. This dynamic nature ensures that even if one code is intercepted, it becomes useless immediately, providing continuous security updates without requiring system reconfiguration.
2Ease of operation
If the security key is stored on the access device for convenient access, then file access is faster and easier, but the security key becomes vulnerable to theft or interception
Solution Approach 1:
The authenticator device serves as an intermediary that generates and transmits the authenticator code through a localized communication channel (such as NFC, Bluetooth, or visual code) to the access device. This intermediary approach allows the security verification to occur without storing the security key on the access device, maintaining security while enabling convenient access through the mediator's presence verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The authenticator code is generated and transmitted preliminarily before the actual file access operation. The access device receives and stores this time-varying code temporarily in volatile memory, preparing the security verification state in advance. This preliminary action allows the file to be accessed quickly using the pre-prepared code while the actual security key remains protected on the authenticator device.
3Reliability
If multiple layers of encryption are applied to the security key, then the security is enhanced, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the most critical security function (generation of time-varying authenticator codes) into a separate dedicated authenticator device. This extraction allows the main access device to handle only the simpler task of verifying the authenticator code against the file encryption key, rather than implementing complex key generation and management algorithms. The complexity is taken out and isolated in the authenticator device.
Solution Approach 2:
The authenticator device is self-service in that it autonomously generates the time-varying authenticator codes using its internal clock and cryptographic algorithms without requiring external input or configuration. The device independently maintains the security state and provides verification codes on demand, eliminating the need for complex centralized key management infrastructure and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating the encryption of files as well as facilitating requiring a user to employ an authenticator device in order to access a file that is encrypted or otherwise secured. The authenticator device can provide an authenticator code in which a security key used to access a secured file can be embedded. An additional layer of encryption can also be applied in the authenticator code.