Distributed Server Authentication via Secret Slicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current password authentication methods are vulnerable to attacks as they store secrets centrally, making them susceptible to theft and breaches, which can lead to further unauthorized access and data corruption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a distributed and multi-level server authentication system that decentralizes authentication secret slices across multiple servers, using different encryption schemes and storage locations to prevent a single point of attack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If authentication secrets are stored centrally on a single server, then authentication verification is simple and fast, but the system becomes vulnerable to physical attacks and secret exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication secret is divided into multiple secret slices that are distributed across different servers. Each server stores only a portion of the secret, so that even if one server is compromised, the complete secret cannot be reconstructed. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving security through distribution while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
A first server acts as an intermediary that coordinates between the client and multiple second servers. It receives authentication requests, distributes secret slices to appropriate second servers, collects authentication confirmations, and manages the overall authentication process. This intermediary simplifies the system architecture by providing a centralized coordination point while the actual secrets remain distributed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If secret slices are distributed across multiple servers, then security against physical attacks is improved, but authentication verification becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The secret is segmented into multiple slices distributed across different second servers, making physical attacks less effective since compromising one server does not expose the complete secret. The segmentation principle directly addresses the harmful factor by ensuring that no single server holds the complete authentication secret.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where second servers return authentication confirmations to the first server, which then synthesizes these responses to determine overall authentication success. This feedback loop manages the complexity of distributed verification by providing structured information flow and decision-making protocols.
3Ease of operation
If all authentication secrets are stored in one location, then access control is simplified, but the risk of unauthorized access and data corruption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication secret is divided and distributed across multiple second servers, so that unauthorized access to one server does not compromise the entire system. This segmentation improves data protection while maintaining access control through the coordinated operation of multiple servers under the management of the first server.
Solution Approach 2:
Different second servers store different secret slices with different security characteristics. Each server can be optimized for specific security requirements, and the system as a whole benefits from the diverse security properties of individual servers. This local quality approach allows tailored security measures at each server while maintaining overall system security.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, system, and non-transitory processor-readable storage medium for distributed and multi-level server authentication are provided herein. An example method includes receiving, by a plurality of second servers, a plurality of authentication secret slices, where a first server transmits each of the plurality of authentication secret slices to a respective second server of the plurality of second servers, receiving, by the first server, an authentication confirmation from each of the plurality of second servers and confirming, by the first server to a client, that an authentication request has succeeded.