Bootstrapping Server Function for Enterprise Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service providers face challenges in efficiently authenticating enterprise users across networks, as existing solutions often require complex key management and lack a standardized method for secure service delivery.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution utilizes a Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA) that generates security keys based on enterprise names, using a Key Derivation Function (KDF) to create unique keys for authentication and service control, leveraging a Bootstrapping Server Function (BSF) to manage and deliver secure services to enterprise subscribers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used, then authentication can be performed, but key management becomes complex and scalable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Bootstrapping Server Function (BSF) as an intermediary component that centralizes key management operations. The BSF receives enterprise identifiers, generates corresponding security keys through key derivation functions, and distributes them to appropriate network elements, thereby eliminating the complexity of decentralized key management while maintaining authentication security.
Solution Approach 2:
The security key generation mechanism is designed to be universal, where a single BSF can serve multiple enterprises by deriving keys from enterprise identifiers. This multi-functional approach allows the system to handle authentication for various enterprises without requiring separate dedicated key management systems for each, thus reducing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If enterprise-specific authentication is implemented, then authentication accuracy improves, but service delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary key generation and distribution before actual service delivery occurs. Enterprise identifiers are preprocessed to generate security keys in advance, and these keys are cached or pre-distributed to network elements. This preliminary action eliminates the need for real-time key generation during service delivery, thereby maintaining high authentication accuracy while significantly improving service delivery efficiency.
3Reliability
If secure key generation is implemented, then network security improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Security keys are generated in advance during network setup or provisioning phases rather than during actual authentication events. The BSF pre-generates keys based on enterprise identifiers and makes them available when needed, eliminating the time-consuming key generation process during authentication and thus reducing processing time while maintaining strong network security.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of generating new cryptographic keys for each authentication event, the system uses deterministic key derivation functions that generate identical keys from the same enterprise identifiers. This copying approach ensures consistent, reproducible key generation that is computationally efficient, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining security through deterministic derivation rather than random generation.
Data Source
AI summary
A device receives enterprise information associated with enterprises supported by a network, and determines enterprise identifiers for one or more enterprises identified in the enterprise information. The device also receives information associated with devices and subscribers of the network, and determines security key parameters based on the information associated with the devices and the subscribers of the network. The device further generates, based on the security key parameters, a security key for each of the enterprise identifiers.