Digital Certificate Request Tool Preventing Private Key Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for obtaining and managing digital certificates are cumbersome, leading to security risks as they often require users to interact with multiple interfaces to select a Certificate Authority and may reuse private keys, compromising security if the key has been compromised.
Innovation Solution
A digital certificate request tool that uses a configuration file and information provided in the request to select a Certificate Authority and prevent reuse of private keys by comparing public key moduli, ensuring secure issuance of new digital certificates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users manually select Certificate Authorities through multiple interfaces, then flexibility in choosing CAs is improved, but system complexity and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component that automatically selects the appropriate Certificate Authority based on the domain name and configuration files. This mediator handles the complexity of CA selection internally while presenting a simplified interface to users, thus maintaining adaptability without increasing user-facing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically selecting the appropriate Certificate Authority using configuration files and domain information without requiring user intervention. This eliminates the need for manual CA selection interfaces while maintaining the ability to choose from multiple CAs based on predefined criteria.
2Productivity
If private keys are reused across certificate renewals, then key generation overhead is reduced, but security is compromised if the key is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by comparing the public key modulus from the new certificate signing request with previously issued certificates before finalizing the certificate issuance. This pre-check prevents reuse of private keys across different certificate periods, ensuring that even if a key was compromised in a previous period, the new certificate will use a fresh key pair.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by checking whether the public key modulus in the new request matches any previously issued certificates. If a match is found, the system provides feedback to prevent certificate issuance, thereby preventing private key reuse and maintaining security while still allowing efficient certificate renewal with new keys.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual certificate management processes are used, then flexibility in handling edge cases is improved, but security risks and operational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service automation that handles certificate requests by automatically selecting CAs, generating certificates, and managing key pairs. The system reads configuration files to determine appropriate CAs and automatically processes the entire certificate issuance workflow without manual intervention, eliminating security risks associated with manual processes while maintaining adaptability through configurable parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method includes receiving a certificate signing request and digital certificate serial number and extracting a public key modulus from the certificate signing request. A stored public key modulus is retrieved for the digital certificate serial number and an error is returned if the public key modulus and the stored public key modulus match so as to improve security of the network server.