Browser API Identity Verification via Cryptographic Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web browser technologies lack a unified identity mechanism, requiring users to log in separately to different web applications and services, leading to complexity and security issues due to reliance on server-to-server authentication and low cookie lifetimes.
Innovation Solution
A browser application programming interface is exposed to verify user identities using user-specific cryptographic information, generating unique key pairs for each user-origin pair, allowing seamless authentication across web applications without the need for repeated login credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If server-to-server authentication technology is used, then authentication between web applications is achieved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the browser as an intermediary between web applications and the authentication server. The browser stores user identity information and cryptographic keys locally, acting as a mediator that provides authentication credentials to web applications without requiring complex server-to-server communication. This simplifies the server-side implementation while maintaining secure authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables web applications to authenticate users independently by accessing identity information stored in the browser's local storage. Each web application can verify user identity using cryptographic keys stored in the browser without requiring centralized server validation, making the authentication process self-service oriented and reducing server complexity.
2Reliability
If centralized account authentication is used, then user identity verification is achieved, but user convenience deteriorates due to session invalidation across applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized authentication system into distributed browser-based identity storage. Instead of a single centralized account that invalidates across all applications, each web application has its own identity verification mechanism using browser-stored cryptographic keys. This segmentation allows independent authentication decisions for each application, preventing session invalidation and improving user convenience.
3Ease of operation
If browser-based identity storage is used, then user convenience is improved by eliminating repeated logins, but security risks increase if identity information is stored locally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by storing cryptographic keys and identity information specifically in the browser's local storage environment. Each browser instance maintains its own isolated identity store, allowing convenient local authentication while limiting the scope of potential security breaches to only that specific browser instance, rather than exposing centralized authentication data across all systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A browser application programming interface is exposed to a web application to verify an identify of a user using user-specific identity information stored by the browser. Cryptographic information associated with the user is transmitted from the browser application programming interface to the web application. User-specific content is provided to the user through the web application if the web application verifies an identify of the user via the browser application programming interface using the cryptographic information.