Biometric Private Key Generation via Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In public key communications environments, the revocation of compromised private keys is inefficient, allowing potential misuse until new key pairs are generated, and traditional protection methods like passwords or fingerprints are inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A method that combines a partial private key with processed biometric data, such as fingerprint data, to create an enhanced private key for encryption and decryption, ensuring that only the user can utilize the key and facilitating easy revocation by changing the key generation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional password protection is used for private keys, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential loss or theft of passwords
Solution Approach 1:
The private key is segmented into two parts: a partial private key stored by the user and biometric data stored securely by the system. Neither part alone can compromise the full private key, thus improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation through biometric authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
Biometric data serves as an intermediary between the user and the private key. The biometric template is processed to generate a key contribution that, when combined with the partial private key, reconstructs the full private key. This intermediary layer enhances reliability without compromising user convenience.
2Reliability
If fingerprints are used as private keys, then reliability is improved through unique identification, but device complexity increases due to fingerprint key generating software and mapping processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential biometric features into a compact template and processes this template to generate a key contribution. This extraction approach maintains reliability through unique biometric identification while reducing device complexity by avoiding storage of raw biometric images and complex mapping software.
Solution Approach 2:
The biometric template processing system serves multiple functions: authentication verification, private key generation, and key revocation. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate systems for each function.
3Reliability
If a full private key is compromised, then loss of information occurs, but the time required for key revocation allows intruders to perform drastic offenses
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the private key into a partial private key and biometric-derived key contribution, the system enables selective revocation. When compromise is detected, only the biometric template needs to be reprocessed or invalidated, not the entire key pair, thus minimizing time loss while maintaining security reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily stores the biometric template securely and establishes the mechanism for rapid key regeneration. When revocation is needed, the preliminary stored template can be quickly reprocessed to generate new key contributions, enabling fast response to security incidents without full key regeneration delays.
Data Source
AI summary
A private key is generated for use in a public key communications environment, and the private key includes a partial private key and processed biometric data. The partial private key is known to the user, but the processed biometric data is not. The processed biometric data is generated on the fly and is not provided to the user. This enables a more secure and robust private key to be created and used in encryption/decryption.