Envelope Encryption for Partially Trusted Cryptography Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cryptographic methods require high levels of trust and computational resources, making it challenging to manage access to computing resources and data, especially in systems where trust is limited and resources are constrained.
Innovation Solution
The use of a partially trusted cryptography service that can establish and verify cryptographically protected communication sessions without accessing the shared secret, using techniques like elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange and envelope encryption to ensure security and integrity while minimizing trust and resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If higher levels of cryptographic protection are implemented, then data security is improved, but computational resource expenditure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cryptographic system is segmented into multiple components: envelope encryption separates the data encryption key from the data itself, while digital signatures separate the signing operation from verification. This allows selective application of computational resources - the sender performs resource-intensive signing, while recipients perform lighter verification operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by implementing cryptographic protection only where necessary - using envelope encryption for data confidentiality and digital signatures for authenticity, rather than applying full cryptographic suites to all data transmissions. This reduces overall computational overhead while maintaining security where needed.
2Reliability
If higher levels of cryptographic protection are implemented, then data security is improved, but trust requirements in subcomponents increase
Solution Approach 1:
A cryptography service acts as an intermediary between communicating parties, handling key generation, envelope encryption, and digital signature operations. This mediator approach allows parties to trust the service for cryptographic operations without needing to fully trust each other, reducing the trust complexity in the system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service through automated cryptographic operations - the cryptography service automatically generates encryption keys, creates envelopes, signs messages, and verifies signatures without requiring manual trust management or intervention. This reduces the operational complexity of managing trust relationships.
3Adaptability or versatility
If access rights are granted to multiple computers and users, then system functionality is improved, but access management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by granting different access rights to different recipients through individual envelope encryption keys and digital signatures. Each recipient receives data encrypted with their specific key, allowing fine-grained control over who can access what, without requiring complex centralized access management.
Data Source
AI summary
Clients within a computing environment may establish a secure communication session. Sometimes, a client may trust another client to read, but not modify, a message. Clients may utilize a cryptography service to generate a message protected against improper modification. Clients may utilize a cryptography service to verify whether a protected message has been improperly modified.