Bill Handling Apparatus Secure Key Management via Peripheral Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bill and coin handling apparatuses lack secure methods to protect encrypted data on hard disks, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access if the disk is stolen, as the encryption key is not securely tied to the peripheral devices.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus generates a data encryption key and encrypts it using a key encryption key calculated from identification information from connected peripheral devices, ensuring that the encrypted data can only be decrypted with access to those devices, thereby preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hard disk is stolen, then the physical security is compromised, but the encrypted data remains protected because the decryption key cannot be obtained without the peripheral device
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption system is segmented into two independent parts: the encrypted data stored on the hard disk and the decryption key stored on a removable peripheral device. This segmentation ensures that stealing the hard disk alone does not provide access to the decryption capability, as the key resides separately on the peripheral device. The control unit requires both components to be present and communicating to decrypt data.
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral device acts as an intermediary between the stolen hard disk and the decryption process. Even if the hard disk is removed from the apparatus, the peripheral device must be physically connected to the control unit and communicate successfully to provide the decryption key. This intermediary requirement prevents unauthorized decryption of stolen data.
2Reliability
If a new key encryption key is generated, then the security can be updated, but the process is simplified because reinitialization is not required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining the encrypted data on the hard disk in a state that can be decrypted at any time as long as the peripheral device is connected. When rekeying is needed, the system has already prepared the infrastructure (control unit, communication interface, decryption algorithms) so that generating a new key encryption key and updating the peripheral device is a straightforward process without requiring full reinitialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The encryption system is designed to be dynamic, allowing the key encryption key to be changed and updated on the peripheral device without restructuring the entire system. The control unit can generate new keys, encrypt them, and transfer them to the peripheral device while the hard disk remains in place, enabling flexible security updates without complex reinitialization procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus (10) for handling bills and/or coins has a control unit (12) that detects a peripheral device connected to the control unit (12), generates a data encryption key (DEK), reads from the peripheral device identification information (W) that denotes the peripheral device, generates a key encryption key (KEK) based the read identification information (W), stores an encrypted data encryption key (VDEK) generated by encrypting the data encryption key (DEK) using the key encryption key (KEK) in a memory area of a hard disk (14), and ascertains the data encryption key (DEK) by decrypting the encrypted data encryption key (VDEK) using the key encryption key (KEK). The control unit (12) encrypts useful data to be stored on the hard disk (14) in encrypted form using the data encryption key (DEK) or decrypts useful data stored on the hard disk in encrypted form using the data encryption key (DEK).