Electronic Switch Domain-Specific Code Generation for Wired Network Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wired communication networks face challenges in maintaining secure communication due to the use of symmetric codes, which can be compromised by malicious devices, and lack the ability to diversify codes effectively between different communication domains.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an electronic switch within each communication domain that generates domain-specific codes pseudo-randomly or randomly using sampled channel properties, allowing for unique codes within each domain and inter-domain codes between domains, thereby enhancing security by diversifying codes throughout the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If symmetric codes are used for secure communication in wired networks, then communication security is maintained through standardized protocols, but the network becomes vulnerable to malicious devices that can identify and compromise the codes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into multiple communication domains, each with its own domain-specific code. This segmentation isolates the impact of code compromise to individual domains rather than the entire network, resolving the vulnerability issue while maintaining security through standardized protocols in each domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making each communication domain have unique code properties through domain-specific codes generated from local channel characteristics. This ensures that each domain has customized security properties rather than relying on a single network-wide code, preventing widespread compromise.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single code is used across the entire network, then implementation is simplified and standardized protocols can be applied uniformly, but code compromise can affect the entire network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into multiple communication domains, each with domain-specific codes. This maintains implementation simplicity through standardized code generation processes while improving security resilience by isolating code compromise to individual domains only.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a universal master code that serves multiple functions: it is provisioned to all circuits and used to generate domain-specific codes through a key derivative function. This maintains implementation simplicity through a single master code while enabling diverse domain-specific security.
3Reliability
If domain-specific codes are generated using channel properties, then code diversity and security are improved across different domains, but the system complexity increases due to additional circuits and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the code generation functionality into the electronic switch, which already exists in the communication domain. By combining channel property sampling, processing, and domain-specific code generation in a single integrated device, the patent reduces overall system complexity while maintaining code diversity and security benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic switch performs self-service by automatically sampling its own channel properties and generating domain-specific codes without requiring external code provisioning. This eliminates the need for complex external key management infrastructure while achieving code diversity.
4Ease of manufacture
If master codes are provisioned to all circuits, then code generation is simplified through centralized key management, but the risk of widespread compromise increases if the master code is identified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the master code's functional role by using it only for generating domain-specific codes through a key derivative function, not for direct communication. This maintains simplified provisioning while reducing compromise risk because identifying a domain-specific code does not reveal the master code or other domain codes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces domain-specific codes as intermediaries between the master code and actual communication. The master code provisions simplicity while domain-specific codes provide security isolation, acting as mediators that prevent direct exposure of the master code during communication operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An example communications apparatus includes a plurality of communicatively-interconnected communication domains and an electronic switch, integrated as part of a first domain of the plurality of communicatively-interconnected communications domains. The electronic switch effects secure communications of data over the one or more channels specific to the first domain, by using a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit is used to obtain and process sampled channel properties associated with the one or more channels specific to the first domain. The second circuit is used to generate, in response to the first circuit, a domain-specific code that is generated pseudo-randomly using the processed sampled channel properties, the domain-specific code being used for coding data conveyed over the one or more channels specific to the first domain.