Electronic Device Hardware Integrity Control With Threshold Cryptography
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hardware integrity verification methods are resource-intensive and inefficient, particularly in large corporate IT infrastructures, where tracking hardware changes is cumbersome and poses significant security risks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing threshold cryptography with partial secret keys, where a threshold number of hardware components must sign an integrity indicator to verify hardware integrity, using Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), ensuring secure and flexible verification without revealing individual component identities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hardware tracking methods are used to monitor all hardware components, then hardware integrity can be verified, but the time and resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the hardware integrity verification into segments by assigning separate partial secret keys to different hardware components. Instead of tracking all hardware centrally, the system segments the verification task across multiple components, each holding a portion of the cryptographic key. This allows distributed verification that reduces central tracking overhead while maintaining integrity assurance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hardware verification device as an intermediary that manages the threshold cryptography scheme. This intermediary coordinates the verification process by collecting signatures from hardware components and validating them against the public key, eliminating the need for direct central tracking of all hardware changes and reducing resource consumption.
2Reliability
If threshold cryptography with multiple partial secret keys is implemented, then hardware integrity verification becomes more secure, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cryptographic key is segmented into multiple partial secret keys distributed across different hardware components. This segmentation enhances security by ensuring that no single component compromise reveals the entire key, while the verification process remains manageable through the segmented structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs threshold cryptography parameters (threshold number of signatures required) that can be configured based on security needs. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves enhanced security without proportionally increasing complexity, as the threshold mechanism provides a clear, manageable verification criterion.
3Ease of operation
If individual component identities are revealed during verification, then verification can be performed, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hardware verification device acts as an intermediary that performs verification without accessing or revealing individual component identities. The device collects cryptographic signatures from components and validates them against the public key, maintaining verification functionality while preserving component anonymity and preventing security risks associated with identity exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary cryptographic signatures from hardware components for verification, separating the verification function from identity revelation. By taking out only the cryptographic evidence (signatures) and not the component identities, the system enables verification while maintaining security and anonymity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
It is provided a method for providing hardware integrity control of an electronic device (2). The method comprising: triggering (40) each one of a plurality of components (4a- d) of the electronic device to generate of respective partial secret keys (10a-d) forming part of a threshold cryptography scheme (11) associated with a public key (12), wherein a threshold number of the plurality of partial secret keys (10a-d) are required to be applied in the threshold cryptography scheme (11) for verification against the public key (12); and providing (42) the public key (12) to a hardware verification device (3). A corresponding hardware integrity device (1), computer program (67, 91) and computer program product (64, 90) are also provided.