Electronic Certificate Encryption for Secure Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

In secure communication protocols like SSL/TLS, personal information contained in electronic certificates is transmitted unencrypted during partner authentication, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access and interception.

Innovation Solution

A method where a client apparatus encrypts its electronic certificate using the server's public key and creates a temporary electronic certificate, which is then sent to the server, allowing the server to authenticate the client only if it recognizes the encrypted certificate, thus preventing unauthorized access to personal information while maintaining compatibility with conventional authentication techniques.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electronic certificates containing personal information are transmitted during SSL/TLS partner authentication, then authentication can be performed, but personal information becomes vulnerable to unauthorized access and interception

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoidunauthorized access to personal information
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary encryption mechanism where the electronic certificate is encrypted using the server's public key before transmission. This encryption layer acts as a mediator that protects the personal information in the certificate while still allowing the server to decrypt and verify it using its private key, thus resolving the contradiction between authentication reliability and security against unauthorized access

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary encryption action by encrypting the electronic certificate with the server's public key before the certificate is transmitted during the handshake protocol. This preliminary protective measure ensures that even if the certificate is intercepted during transmission, the personal information remains protected, while still enabling subsequent authentication

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2086162B1System, device, method and program for authenticating communication partner by means of electronic certificate including personal information
Publication Date: 2020.01.29 LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
  • EP2086162B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2086162B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2086162B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(c)

AI summary

[Object] To provide a technique for authenticating a communication partner using an electronic certificate containing personal information. [Solving Means] When a client apparatus receives a request for an electronic certificate from a server apparatus, the server apparatus reads a client certificate containing personal information and a server public key of the server apparatus from a storage unit and encrypts the client certificate using the server public key. The client apparatus also creates a temporary electronic certificate by setting, in a basic field of an electronic certificate, a predetermined item indicating that the electronic certificate is a temporary electronic certificate and by setting the client certificate having been encrypted in an extension field of the electronic certificate. Then, the client apparatus sends the temporary electronic certificate to the server apparatus.