Encrypted Handshake for Application Trust Validation

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is no secure method to distinguish between interactions between a licensed cloud application and an on-premises application, and interactions between an unlicensed cloud application or a malicious party and the on-premises application, leading to risks of unauthorized access and misuse.

Innovation Solution

A secure handshaking mechanism is established using existing properties of the requesting application, with dynamic parameters like timestamps being used for masking, hashing, and encryption, ensuring only authorized interactions are counted towards license usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a software provider allows cloud applications to interact with on-premises applications without secure verification, then ease of operation and application interaction are improved, but security and license control deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication interactionVSAvoidlicense control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing secure handshaking protocols and verifying application identities before allowing interactions. The cloud application and on-premises application exchange cryptographic credentials and establish trusted connections in advance, ensuring that only authorized interactions occur. This preliminary verification prevents unauthorized access while maintaining ease of operation for legitimate uses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a software provider implements secure verification mechanisms to distinguish licensed from unlicensed applications, then license control and security are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelicense controlVSAvoidverification mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces intermediary components such as handshaking protocols, cryptographic credential verification systems, and identity validation mechanisms that mediate between the cloud application and on-premises application. These intermediaries handle the complex verification tasks, allowing the core applications to remain simple while maintaining robust license control and security through the intermediary verification layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If a software provider uses dynamic parameters like timestamps for masking and encryption in handshaking, then security against replay attacks is improved, but computational overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcomputational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes parameters by incorporating dynamic elements such as timestamps, random nonces, and session-specific cryptographic keys into the handshaking process. These parameter changes ensure that each interaction is unique and secure against replay attacks. The computational overhead is managed by using efficient cryptographic algorithms and caching mechanisms to minimize the performance impact of these dynamic parameter validations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250125968A1Encrypted handshake for trust validation between two applications
Publication Date: 2025.04.17 SAP SE
  • US20250125968A1 patent drawing
  • US20250125968A1 patent drawing
  • US20250125968A1 patent drawing

AI summary

In an example embodiment, a framework is provided that provides a secure mechanism to limit misuse of licensed applications. Specifically, a mutual handshake is established, using existing properties of a requesting application, and wraps objects with dynamic parameters, such as a current timestamp, to perform masking, hashing, and encryption for the handshake.