Consortium Blockchain Authentication for Endpoint Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endpoint code signing solutions are centralized, inflexible, and costly, relying on single-point authorization and requiring personal information from developers, with limited accessibility to smaller projects and open-source communities.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized and self-sovereign identity-based authentication system using a consortium-based infrastructure and blockchain technology, which verifies the authenticity of endpoint devices through a shared digital wallet and blockchain ledger network, enabling flexible and scalable authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If centralized code signing solutions are used, then authentication and authorization can be provided, but flexibility and accessibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized authorization system is segmented into distributed autonomous nodes. Each endpoint device maintains its own digital wallet and credentials, eliminating the single-point authorization bottleneck. The system divides the authorization function across multiple independent entities, allowing flexible access control without centralized coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
A blockchain network serves as an intermediary layer that enables trustless verification between endpoint devices. Instead of direct centralized control, the blockchain mediates the authorization process by providing immutable verification of digital credentials, allowing flexible authorization while maintaining system-wide trust.
2Reliability
If personal information is collected for vendor authorization, then authentication can be provided, but privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Personal information is extracted and replaced with cryptographic digital credentials. The system removes the need to store or transmit actual personal data by using public-key cryptography, where only cryptographic proofs of identity are exchanged, maintaining authentication reliability without personal information exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
Endpoint devices autonomously manage their own digital identities and credentials through self-sovereign identity mechanisms. Each device generates and controls its own cryptographic key pairs and digital credentials without requiring personal information submission to vendors, enabling self-service authentication that protects privacy.
3Ease of operation
If single-point authorization is used, then simplified control is achieved, but system resilience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The single-point authorization control is segmented into distributed authorization capabilities at each endpoint. Each device independently verifies credentials through blockchain, maintaining simple operational control while eliminating the single-point failure risk through distribution across multiple autonomous nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The authorization model transitions from centralized control parameters to decentralized cryptographic verification parameters. This parameter change maintains the simplicity of authorization decisions while fundamentally improving resilience by removing the central point of failure through cryptographic proof-based verification.
Data Source
AI summary
In an aspect of the disclosure, there is a computer-implemented method including: obtaining, by a computing device, a request from an endpoint device to access at least one system resource; obtaining, by the computing device, a digital certificate from a shared digital wallet; obtaining, by the computing device, a validation result associated with the digital certificate from a blockchain ledger network; determining, by the computing device, whether the validation result authorizes access to the at least one system resource by the endpoint device; and sending authorization to the endpoint to deny or permit the endpoint device access to the at least one system resource based on the validation result.