Decentralized Key Share Distribution for IoT Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing encryption schemes for messages between devices often rely on centralized servers for managing encryption keys, which can be costly and vulnerable to attacks, especially in the context of network-enabled machines or 'internet of things' devices.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a decentralized system for secure peer-to-peer communications, where parts of a secret encryption key are stored between peers rather than a central location, using a trust relationship established through certificates and a registry, and utilizing a secret sharing scheme like Shamir's to generate and share data encryption key shares.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized server is used for managing encryption keys, then key management is simplified and centralized, but security is reduced and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption key is divided into multiple shares using secret sharing schemes (e.g., Shamir's Secret Sharing). Each peer device holds a portion of the key material, and no single device possesses the complete key. This segmentation eliminates the security vulnerability of centralized key storage while maintaining operational simplicity through automated share distribution and reconstruction protocols.
2Reliability
If encryption keys are distributed across multiple peers, then security is improved against single-point attacks, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A trusted intermediary (such as a key management service or certificate authority) facilitates the initial distribution of key shares to peer devices and verifies device identities during the key sharing process. This intermediary handles the complex cryptographic operations and trust verification, allowing individual peer devices to maintain simpler local implementations while achieving enhanced collective security.
3Reliability
If M out of N devices are required to regenerate the full key, then security against interception is enhanced, but key regeneration time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Key shares are pre-distributed to all N peer devices during system initialization or setup phases, before any actual communication needs arise. Each device stores its share in secure local storage. When key regeneration is needed, the pre-positioned shares can be quickly combined by any M devices, significantly reducing regeneration time compared to generating and distributing shares on-demand.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for secure peer-to-peer communications are described. Devices registered into trusted network may be capable of establishing a shared data encryption key (DEK). In embodiments, each device may be configured to obtain a share of a data encryption key (DEKi) that can be stored locally. The shares may be shares in an M of N Secret Sharing Scheme. This may involve a network that includes an integer, N, devices, and in which M devices may share a secret (i.e. the DEK) during communications, M being an integer less than or equal to N. To obtain the entire DEK during encryption/decryption, a requesting device may send requests to M of N devices for their shares of the DEK. Once M shares are obtained, they may be used generate the DEK for encrypting/decrypting data between the devices.