Certificate Authority Computer System Segmentation for Validation Overload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital certificate systems face challenges in managing user identities and authentications across diverse electronic devices and transactions, particularly due to the long validity period of digital certificates, which does not account for changes in user information over time, leading to overload in validation processes.
Innovation Solution
A computerized system for managing digital certificates, including a Certificate Authority Computer System (CACS) that issues Proxy Digital Certificates (PCERT) and Transactional Digital Certificates (TCERT) with multi-factor authentication, where TCERTs are issued for short durations based on specific transactions, ensuring real-time validation and updating of user data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If digital certificates are issued with long validity periods (one to two years), then the certificate issuance process is efficient and less frequent, but the validation processes become overloaded and user information may become outdated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital certificate into two distinct types: Proxy Digital Certificates (PCERT) with long validity periods for identity establishment, and Transactional Digital Certificates (TCERT) with short validity periods for specific transactions. This segmentation allows the system to maintain efficient certificate issuance while avoiding validation overload, as TCERTs are issued on-demand for specific transactions rather than maintaining continuous long-term validation capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic certificate management where TCERTs are issued with varying short validity periods based on transaction requirements. The certificate lifecycle becomes dynamic rather than static, with certificates being issued, used, and revoked in real-time based on transaction needs, thereby adapting validation capacity to actual demand rather than maintaining fixed long-term validation capacity
2Device complexity
If digital certificates are issued with long validity periods, then fewer certificates need to be issued and managed, but user identity changes (name, address, licenses) cannot be reflected in the certificate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates identity verification (PCERT with long validity) from transaction-specific verification (TCERT with short validity). The PCERT establishes the user's identity once with long-term validity, while TCERTs are issued for specific transactions with short validity periods. This segmentation allows user identity information to remain accurate for each transaction without requiring frequent re-issuance of the entire certificate, thus maintaining both low management complexity and high identity accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The PCERT acts as an intermediary that establishes long-term identity trust, while TCERTs serve as transaction-specific intermediaries that carry current, validated user information. This layered intermediary structure allows the system to maintain accurate user identity information for transactions without requiring the entire certificate to be re-issued when user details change, as the TCERT is generated fresh for each transaction with current data
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional digital certificates are used for all transactions, then a unified authentication system is maintained, but security is compromised for high-risk transactions requiring additional validation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different security levels for different transactions. Standard transactions use PCERT for authentication, while high-risk transactions require additional TCERT validation with multi-factor authentication. This localized application of enhanced security measures ensures that security is strengthened only where needed, providing authentication flexibility for routine transactions while maintaining high reliability for critical transactions without unnecessarily complicating the entire system
Data Source
AI summary
An enhanced certificate authority system and method allows for the enhanced security, validation and Multi-Factor Authentication of user's within a digital signature and transaction system through the creation and management of a user's Digital Identity certificate so that through an enhanced certificate authority a user's identity and bona fides may be both protected and established across a diversity of electronic devices and transactions.