Cascading Authentication System with Composite Token
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cascading authentication systems face security risks due to hackers potentially bypassing earlier layers of authentication, leading to increased vulnerability from insiders, as existing solutions like IP or MAC address restrictions and additional authentication methods are impractical or costly.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cascading authentication system that requires matching a stored authentication plan with current authentication records from previous layers, using an authentication store manager to verify user access and deny access if the plans do not match, thereby enhancing security by ensuring users authenticate through all necessary layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional authentication methods such as smart cards are required for each layer, then security is improved, but infrastructure costs and user inconvenience increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal authentication token that serves multiple authentication layers simultaneously. Instead of requiring separate smart cards for each authentication layer, a single token is generated that encapsulates credentials valid across multiple layers, eliminating the need for multiple physical authentication devices and reducing infrastructure costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple authentication credentials into a single authentication token. The token aggregates authentication information from multiple layers (IP/MAC address, username/password, smart card) into one unified credential that can be presented at any layer, simplifying the authentication process while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If IP or MAC address restrictions are implemented, then access control is improved, but the solution is easily spoofed and insufficient when authorized machines are shared
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite authentication credential that combines multiple authentication factors (IP/MAC address, username/password, smart card information) into a single token. This multi-factor composite approach ensures that even if one factor is compromised or spoofed, the other factors remain as security layers, making spoofing significantly more difficult.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy or representation of the authentication state in the form of a token. Instead of relying directly on mutable network parameters like IP addresses that can be spoofed, the system generates an immutable token that copies and verifies the authentication state, preventing spoofing attacks.
3Reliability
If multiple smart cards are required for multiple authentication layers, then security is improved, but user inconvenience and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple authentication credentials into a single token that the user presents once. Instead of requiring users to carry and present separate smart cards for each authentication layer, the system combines all necessary credentials into one token, dramatically improving user convenience while maintaining multi-layer security.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication token is designed to be universally accepted across multiple authentication layers. A single token serves the function of multiple smart cards, allowing users to access multiple layers of protection without needing multiple physical devices, thereby eliminating user inconvenience.
4Reliability
If hackers can skip authentication layers, then the system is easier to compromise, but implementing strict layer verification increases processing time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary authentication at the earliest possible layer and generates a token that validates subsequent layers. By completing the authentication chain at the first opportunity and caching the result in a token, the system prevents hackers from skipping layers without requiring time-consuming verification at each subsequent layer, thus reducing overall processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the authentication state in the form of a token that can be rapidly verified at any layer. Instead of re-verifying the entire authentication chain at each layer (which would be time-consuming), the system uses the token copy to quickly validate that the user has completed all required authentication steps, reducing processing time while maintaining security.
Data Source
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AI summary
Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for authenticating a user to a server based on previous authentications to other serversare disclosed. Embodiments of amethod for authenticating a user to a servermay include receiving a request to authenticate the user to the server and determining whether authenticating the user requires matching an authentication plan.If a plan is required, the method may also include accessing a stored authentication plan with authentication records each having expected information relating to user access to a different server. The method may also include receiving an indication of the user s current authentication plan from an authentication store where the plan has authorization records each having current information relating to user access. Embodiments ofthe method may also include comparing the stored authentication plan with the received current authentication plan to determine whether they match and, in response to a match, authenticating the user.