Biometric Two-User Validation for Process Control Write Commands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing process control systems are vulnerable to security breaches due to laxness or sabotage, as standard username and password credentials can be easily guessed or hacked, and two-user verification systems may be prone to redundancy and password sharing, especially when relying on network directory services that do not capture direct user relationships.
Innovation Solution
A process control system that intercepts write commands for validation, using biometric inputs and user profiles to establish relationships between users, where a second user must biometrically authenticate to validate a write command initiated by a first user, ensuring that only authorized users with valid relationships can execute changes on process control devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard username and password credentials are used for authentication, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to susceptibility to guessing and hacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/password-based authentication system with biometric authentication (fingerprint, iris, facial recognition). This substitution eliminates the vulnerability of password guessing and hacking while maintaining ease of operation, as biometric authentication requires no memorization and is performed automatically through sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a relationship validation intermediary that checks the connection between the first user (initiator) and second user (verifier). This intermediary layer prevents credential sharing abuse by ensuring that only legitimately related users can validate each other's commands, adding security without complicating the authentication process for end users.
2Reliability
If a second user verification system is implemented, then security is improved, but device complexity is worsened due to additional validation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex password-based second verification with biometric authentication. The biometric system automatically captures and verifies user identity through sensors, eliminating the need for manual password entry and reducing the perceived complexity for users while maintaining strong security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages the relationship validation between users. Once relationships are established in the database, the system self-service checks these relationships during validation without requiring manual configuration or complex user actions, reducing operational complexity.
3Productivity
If credential sharing is allowed to expedite change requests, then productivity is improved, but security is worsened due to inability to track actual user identity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces credential-based identification with biometric identification. Since biometric data is inherently tied to the physical user and cannot be shared, this substitution maintains user identification accuracy while still allowing multiple users to perform change requests efficiently through their own biometric authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The relationship validation intermediary enables authorized users to validate commands from related users without sharing credentials. The intermediary checks the relationship database to verify that the validating user is legitimately connected to the initiating user, allowing expedited processing while maintaining security and tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for validating a write command to a device in a process control system using biometric credentials and relationship attributes. A two user validation process may use biometric inputs of the two users to authenticate the two users and to query for associated profiles to determine whether the two users have a relationship required to release an intercepted write command to the device.