DLT Transaction Signing with Separated Authentication and Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional decentralized ledger technologies (DLTs) conflate authentication and authorization processes, leading to security breaches and inefficiencies in managing complex corporate authority structures, as they rely on public/private key combinations that do not distinguish between individual identity and transaction authority, compromising accountability and integrity.
Innovation Solution
The method cryptographically separates and links authentication and authorization processes by using access tokens and key fragments, enabling independent verification and execution of transactions within a decentralized network, incorporating multi-party computation and smart contracts to manage complex authority structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional DLTs use public/private key combinations for authentication, then the system is simple to operate, but security is compromised because individual identity and transaction authority are not distinguished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication process into two distinct components: authentication (verifying individual identity) and authorization (verifying transaction authority). This is achieved by separating the private key into multiple key fragments distributed to different authorized individuals, requiring both authentication credentials and key fragments to execute transactions. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving security through role separation while managing complexity through structured key management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the authorization function from the traditional public/private key authentication mechanism. Instead of using a single private key for both authentication and authorization, the system extracts authorization capabilities by distributing key fragments to multiple individuals and requiring their collaboration. This extraction improves security by preventing single-point compromise while maintaining operational feasibility through defined key fragment management protocols.
2Reliability
If DLTs conflate authentication and authorization processes, then the system is easier to implement, but accountability and integrity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the conflation of authentication and authorization into distinct operational phases. Authentication verifies the individual's identity through credentials, while authorization validates transaction authority through key fragment verification and smart contract logic. This segmentation enhances accountability by clearly attributing actions to authenticated individuals with verified authority, while managing process complexity through automated verification mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through smart contracts that verify both authentication status and authorization permissions before allowing transactions. The system provides feedback by rejecting transactions that fail either authentication or authorization checks, ensuring accountability. This feedback loop manages process complexity by automating verification rather than requiring manual review of each transaction's authenticity and authority.
3Reliability
If DLTs use separate authentication and authorization processes, then security and accountability are enhanced, but the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal framework that handles both authentication and authorization within a single transaction execution flow. The smart contract system universally applies verification logic that checks both credentials and key fragments, maintaining operational simplicity through a unified interface. This multi-functionality approach enhances integrity by ensuring both authentication and authorization are verified, while preserving ease of operation through automated processes that hide complexity from users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces smart contracts as intermediaries that mediate between the separate authentication and authorization processes. The smart contract receives authentication credentials and key fragments, performs verification, and either approves or rejects transactions. This intermediary approach enhances integrity by ensuring systematic verification of both authentication and authorization, while maintaining operational simplicity by providing a single point of interaction for users rather than requiring them to manage separate verification processes.
Data Source
AI summary
One of the drawbacks of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is the conflation of authorization and authentication of transactions on a distributed ledger. The present invention includes a highly adaptable method and system for separating, but cryptographically linking, the authentication and authorization process of signing a transaction of a distributed ledger. The present invention facilitates group authority, common in corporate structures, for proposed transactions, voting models, and even workflow decision making. The present invention supports implementation of a variety of known authorization models into a decentralized network.