Device-to-Device Authentication Using Environmental Trust Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Devices attempting to connect with one another without user intervention may face security risks due to untrusted connections, especially in hostile computing environments where the authenticity of network connections and devices is uncertain.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device uses an authentication service to detect and authenticate another device based on environmental characteristics and transitions, employing multi-factor authentication through an authentication entity to determine trustworthiness, reducing the need for constant user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If devices automatically connect without user intervention, then network communication efficiency is improved, but security risks increase due to untrusted connections
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions before establishing device connections. An authentication entity verifies device identities and credentials in advance, ensuring that only authenticated devices can establish connections. This preliminary verification step prevents untrusted devices from connecting automatically, thereby maintaining security while enabling efficient automatic connections.
Solution Approach 2:
An authentication entity acts as an intermediary between devices attempting to connect. This mediator verifies the identities and credentials of devices before allowing direct peer-to-peer connections. The authentication entity mediates the trust relationship, enabling automatic connections to proceed efficiently while maintaining security through centralized verification.
2Reliability
If multi-factor authentication is implemented, then connection security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication logic and complexity are extracted from individual devices and centralized in a dedicated authentication entity. Devices only need to present their credentials to the authentication entity, which handles the complex multi-factor verification processes. This extraction reduces device complexity while maintaining strong authentication security through centralized credential verification.
3Reliability
If authentication services are used for device-to-device connections, then connection trustworthiness is improved, but computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication entity serves as an intermediary that performs computationally intensive authentication operations. Individual devices only need to communicate their credentials to the authentication entity, which handles the heavy computational workload of verifying multiple authentication factors. This distribution of computational load reduces energy consumption on individual devices while maintaining strong authentication through the intermediary's verification processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure describes techniques for device to device authentication. For instance, a first device may detect a second device, such as when a user physically attaches the second device to the first device or when the second device wireless communicates with the first device. A component of the first device and/or an authentication entity may then determine to authenticate the second device. In some instances, the component determines to authenticate the second device using information associated with an environment of the second device. To authenticate the second device, the authentication entity may send a request to a user, receive a response from the user, and then verity the response. After the authentication, the first device may determine that the second device includes a trusted device and establish a connection with the second device.