Autonomous Signing Management for Key Distribution Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed computing systems lack support for an autonomous data signing mechanism, where a client can securely prove it was the entity that generated the data, posing challenges in secure data exchange and management.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous signing management system is introduced, incorporating a SignData API and VerifySignature API, which utilize signature descriptors to authenticate and manage encryption and decryption keys, enabling clients to securely sign and verify data within a key distribution service (dKDS).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If dKDS provides centralized key management for encryption and decryption, then key management efficiency is improved, but autonomous data signing capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The key distribution service is extended to provide multiple cryptographic operations including encryption, decryption, signing, and verification through a unified interface. The same key management infrastructure serves both traditional encryption scenarios and new signing scenarios, allowing the system to be versatile without requiring separate management mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The cryptographic operations are segmented into distinct API functions (SignData, VerifySignature) while maintaining centralized key management. This allows the system to handle different cryptographic operations separately while still benefiting from unified key distribution and management, resolving the contradiction between centralized control and operational versatility.
2Ease of operation
If clients manage their own signing keys autonomously, then signing flexibility is improved, but key management security and compliance are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The key distribution service acts as an intermediary between clients and signing keys. Clients request signing keys from the centralized service when needed, perform their signing operations autonomously, but the key management lifecycle (generation, distribution, rotation, revocation) remains controlled by the centralized service. This mediator approach provides both flexibility and security.
Solution Approach 2:
Clients can autonomously request and use signing keys through self-service API calls without manual intervention. The system provides automated key generation, distribution, and management, allowing clients to perform signing operations independently while the centralized service handles the complex key management tasks automatically, combining ease of operation with secure management.
3Reliability
If dKDS manages all cryptographic keys centrally, then security control is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single centralized key distribution service handles multiple cryptographic functions (encryption keys, decryption keys, signing keys, verification keys) through unified APIs. This universal approach consolidates what could be multiple separate systems into one, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security control over all cryptographic operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Various methods and systems are provided for autonomous signing management for a key distribution service (“KDS”). In operation, a key request from a KDS client device is received at a KDS server. The key request is associated with a security token of a signing entity caller or verifying entity caller, and a signature descriptor. The signature descriptor supports signing data with an encryption key and verifying a signature with a decryption key. The signing entity caller or the verifying entity caller is authenticated based on the corresponding security token and signature descriptor. The encryption key or the decryption key associated with the key request is generated. The encryption key or the decryption key is generated based on authenticating using the security token and the signature descriptor. The encryption key or the decryption key is communicated to a KDS client device the KDS client to sign data or decrypt a signature.