Distributed Signing Protocol for Mobile Identity-Based Signatures
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Solution Overview
Problem
The IEEE P1363 standard's BLMQ signature scheme lacks an efficient and secure two-party distributed signing protocol, which is crucial for identity-based signature schemes used in wireless communications, particularly in scenarios where private keys are prone to leakage due to storage on mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for generating a distributed cryptographic key and signature using a key generation center and two other devices, employing zero-knowledge functionality and Paillier cryptosystem to ensure secure and efficient two-party distributed signing without recovering the private key, involving phases of distributed key generation and signature generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If private keys are stored on mobile devices for identity-based signature schemes, then user authorization and message validation can be performed, but the private keys are prone to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the private key into multiple shares using secret sharing schemes, distributing them across multiple devices rather than storing the complete private key on a single mobile device. This segmentation prevents key leakage while maintaining the ability to perform cryptographic operations when sufficient shares are combined.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a key generation center and trusted third parties as intermediaries in the key management process. These intermediaries facilitate secure key distribution and verification without requiring the mobile device to store the complete private key, thereby enhancing security while enabling authorization operations.
2Reliability
If (t; n) threshold secret sharing schemes are used to distribute private keys, then key leakage is mitigated, but private keys must be recovered on a single device for signature generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signature generation process across multiple devices, with each device contributing a portion of the computational work using its share of the private key. This eliminates the need to reconstruct the complete private key on a single device while still achieving secure signature generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the computational capabilities of multiple devices to perform signature generation collectively. Each device performs local computations on its key share, and the results are merged to produce the final signature, achieving both security and distributed operation.
3Device complexity
If the BLMQ signature scheme is implemented without distributed signing protocol, then implementation is simpler, but it lacks efficient and secure two-party distributed signing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary key distribution and setup through a key generation center before the actual signing operations. This preliminary action establishes the foundation for secure distributed signing, allowing the BLMQ scheme to be adapted for multi-party use without complicating the core signature generation logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a key generation center and verification mechanisms as intermediaries that enable the BLMQ signature scheme to function in a distributed manner. These intermediaries handle the complex key management and verification tasks, allowing the core signing protocol to remain relatively simple while achieving distributed functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
The techniques described herein may provide an efficient and secure two-party distributed signing protocol for the identity-based signature scheme described in the IEEE P1363 standard. For example, in an embodiment, a method may comprise generating a distributed cryptographic key at a key generation center and a first other device and a second other device and generating a distributed cryptographic signature at the first other device using the second other device.