Cloud Security Credential Deployment via Cryptex Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deploying security credentials for applications in cloud environments is challenging due to the 'chicken and egg' problem, where applications lack initial credentials needed for authentication, leading to manual and inefficient deployment processes, especially in high-rate machine deployments where physical constraints do not apply.
Innovation Solution
A method involving receiving a request for a security credential, encrypting it using RSA public key/private key encryption, and transmitting it to a cloud management system, where a cryptex server decrypts and authenticates the credential using metadata associated with the virtual machine instance, ensuring secure and automated deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual credential deployment is used, then security credentials can be deployed, but the deployment process becomes inefficient and time-consuming, especially in high-rate machine deployments
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-encrypting credentials with the public key before deployment, and pre-configuring the cloud management system to automatically decrypt and inject credentials into virtual machine images. This eliminates manual intervention during actual deployment, enabling automated high-rate machine deployments while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If credentials are stored in plain text, then access is easy, but security is compromised during transmission and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces encryption as an intermediary mechanism between credential generation and deployment. The cloud management system acts as a mediator that receives encrypted credentials, decrypts them using the private key, and injects them into virtual machine images. This intermediary approach maintains security throughout transmission and storage while automating the deployment process.
3Ease of operation
If applications request credentials before deployment, then authentication can proceed, but the 'chicken and egg' problem arises where applications lack initial credentials
Solution Approach 1:
The system resolves the chicken and egg problem by performing preliminary action: encrypting credentials with the application's public key before the application is deployed. The encrypted credentials are embedded in the virtual machine image, ensuring that when the application starts, the credentials are already available. This eliminates the need for the application to request credentials before deployment.
4Reliability
If credentials are encrypted before deployment, then security during transmission is improved, but the decrypting and authenticating process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud management system performs self-service by automatically handling the encryption, decryption, and credential injection processes without manual intervention. The system uses the application's public key to encrypt credentials, then automatically decrypts them with the private key and injects them into the virtual machine image. This self-service approach maintains transmission security while simplifying the deployment process through automation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides an automated and secure technique for deploying security credentials in cloud environments, overcoming the initial credential access issue and ensuring correct deployment by using encrypted credentials and metadata authentication.
Implementation Method 1
The method further includes retrieving the security credential using the authentication information. Additionally, the method includes encrypting the security credential.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for deploying a security credential for an application deployed in a cloud. An encrypted security credential is received from a remote system and is inserted into a virtual machine instance associated with the application. Upon deploying the virtual machine instance, embodiments transmit a request to a cryptex server for a decrypted security credential, the request including the encrypted security credential and a virtual machine identifier for the deployed virtual machine instance. The cryptex server is configured to retrieve metadata associated with the virtual machine identifier and to authenticate the deployed virtual machine instance using the retrieved metadata. Embodiments receive, from the cryptex server, the decrypted security credential for use by the application.