Batch Signing Security Appliances Cluster Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In systems utilizing a cluster of security appliances, requiring multiple administrators to authorize operations leads to significant delays due to the time-consuming nature of individual cryptographic authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a batch signing system where administrators sign a single message containing operation contexts and nonces generated by each security appliance, allowing a single operation to be authorized across multiple appliances with reduced cryptographic processing load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual cryptographic authentication operations are performed for each security appliance in a cluster, then security authorization is ensured, but significant delays occur due to the time-consuming nature of multiple individual authentication processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual cryptographic authentication operations into a single batch signing operation. Administrators sign one message containing operation contexts and nonces from multiple security appliances simultaneously, rather than performing separate authentication operations for each appliance. This merging reduces the total number of cryptographic operations and eliminates the sequential delays inherent in individual authentication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by having each security appliance generate a random nonce and include it in the operation context before the actual authorization occurs. These pre-prepared nonces are embedded in the message that administrators will sign, allowing the authentication process to be streamlined and executed more efficiently when authorization is needed.
2Reliability
If multiple individual cryptographic authentication operations are performed across a cluster of security appliances, then each appliance receives proper authorization, but the processing load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cryptographic authentication operations into a single batch signing operation. Instead of administrators separately authenticating with each security appliance in the cluster, they perform one cryptographic signing operation on a consolidated message that contains operation contexts from all target appliances. This dramatically reduces the cryptographic processing load while ensuring each appliance receives proper authorization through the included nonces.
3Ease of operation
If administrators authorize operations on each security appliance individually, then precise control over each appliance is maintained, but the number of cryptographic authorization operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual authorization operations into a single batch operation. Administrators interact with the system once to authorize operations across multiple security appliances simultaneously, rather than performing separate authorization operations for each appliance. This merging maintains precise control over each appliance through individual nonces in the message while dramatically improving authorization efficiency by reducing the number of operations administrators must perform.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for batch signing of a message is provided. An administrator initiates a management operation directed to a plurality of security appliances organized as a cluster. In response, the security appliance generates an operation context identifying the management operation to be performed. In addition, a secure encryption processor (SEP) of each security appliance generates a random nonce. The nonces are then assembled along with the operation context into a single message. The message is then cryptographically signed by an appropriate number of administrators using a cryptographic key associated with each administrator. The signed message is returned to the security appliances, where each security appliance examines the signed message and determines whether its nonce is present within the message. If so, the security appliance performs the desired management operation. However, if its nonce is not present in the signed message, the management operation is disallowed and not performed.