Chipset Credential Binding via Secret Value Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In the IoT devices, existing technologies fail to ensure that each set of wireless or cellular access credentials is installed on only one chipset, leading to potential misuse and unauthorized access to network services.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that involves transmitting initialization data to a remote server, receiving encrypted credential files, and executing binding software on each computer chip module to securely bind and install network access credentials, ensuring each set is unique to one module by using a combination of identification and secret values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If network access credentials are installed on multiple chipsets, then credential distribution is simplified and faster, but security is compromised allowing credential cloning and misuse
Solution Approach 1:
The credential system is segmented into multiple independent components: a unique identifier for each chipset, a secret value stored securely in the chipset, and encrypted credential data. The binding software segments the authentication process into verification steps that check both the identifier and secret value, ensuring that credentials cannot be transferred between chipsets without detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding software acts as an intermediary between the credential storage and the authentication process. It verifies the relationship between the chipset identifier, secret value, and credential data before allowing authentication, preventing unauthorized credential usage without impacting legitimate credential distribution.
2Reliability
If credential binding verification is implemented, then credential security and uniqueness are ensured, but system complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The unique identifier is pre-generated and stored in the chipset during manufacturing, and the secret value is pre-configured in the binding software. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for complex runtime generation or configuration, reducing system complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The chipset performs self-verification by using its own unique identifier and secret value to authenticate credential binding. The binding software leverages the chipset's built-in security features rather than requiring external verification infrastructure, simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Reliability
If encrypted credential files are used, then credential protection is improved, but processing and extraction time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different encryption and verification procedures are applied locally based on the specific chipset identifier. Each chipset has its own dedicated credential set encrypted with keys derived from its unique identifier, allowing parallel processing and minimizing overall processing time while maintaining strong protection for each individual credential set.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for binding or assigning network access credentials to computer chip modules may include transmitting to a remote server a set of initialization data items each including an identification and a derivation of a secret value; and receiving from the remote server credential files, each including encrypted network access credentials and an initialization data item. For each computer chip module, a credential file may be installed on the computer chip module, an identification and a secret value may be installed on the computer chip module, and binding software may be executed. The execution of the binding software may accept as input the identification and a derivation of the secret value and may cause extraction of the network access credentials if the identification and the secret value when input to a formula result in a match.