Distributed Key Derivation Protocol for Authentication Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computing environments face challenges in balancing security and efficiency, particularly in managing shared secret credentials for authentication in distributed systems, where centralized key storage can lead to scaling bottlenecks and availability issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a key derivation protocol using Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC) that generates artifacts from shared secret credentials, allowing authentication without revealing the actual credential, and distributing these derived keys across a distributed system to ensure security and scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If centralized key storage is used for authentication, then security management is simplified, but scaling bottlenecks and availability issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized key storage system into distributed key derivation components. Each node in the distributed system can independently derive authentication keys using the HMAC-based key derivation function, eliminating the single point of failure in centralized key storage while maintaining security management simplicity through the standardized derivation process.
2Reliability
If shared secret credentials are stored centrally, then authentication security is strengthened, but access efficiency decreases due to centralized bottlenecks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each distributed node to perform self-service key derivation using the HMAC-based function. Nodes independently generate their authentication keys from the shared secret credential without requiring centralized key distribution or verification, thereby maintaining strong authentication security while eliminating access bottlenecks and improving data access efficiency.
3Reliability
If distributed key derivation is implemented, then system scalability improves, but key management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal HMAC-based key derivation function that can be applied across all distributed nodes regardless of the specific authentication protocol or key type required. This single standardized function serves multiple purposes (generating different key types, supporting various authentication mechanisms), thereby improving system scalability while keeping key management complexity manageable through standardization.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for authentication generate keys from secret credentials shared between authenticating parties and authenticators. Generation of the keys may involve utilizing specialized information that, as a result of being used to generate the keys, renders the generated keys usable for a smaller scope of uses than the secret credential. Further, key generation may involve multiple invocations of a function where each of at least a subset of the invocations of the function results in a key that has a smaller scope of permissible use than a key produced from a previous invocation of the function. Generated keys may be used as signing keys to sign messages. One or more actions may be taken depending on whether a message and/or the manner in which the message was submitted complies with restrictions of the a key's use.