Gateway Functional Encryption for Encrypted Data Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IoT communication systems face challenges in facilitating local decision-making at gateway devices while maintaining end-to-end encryption, as they require decrypting data to perform computations, which is not feasible due to security constraints.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Functional Encryption (FE) techniques allows gateway devices to compute functions on encrypted data without decrypting it, enabling local decision-making by using a specially crafted operator that can perform operations like summing or averaging data values without access to the private key, thereby allowing actions to be determined and taken based on these computations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If data is decrypted at the gateway device to perform computations, then local decision-making capability is improved, but security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cryptographic intermediary mechanism (functional encryption scheme) that enables the gateway to compute functions on encrypted data without decrypting it. The backend server acts as a trusted intermediary that generates functional keys allowing the gateway to perform computations while maintaining end-to-end encryption, thus resolving the contradiction between local decision-making and security.
2Reliability
If all processing is performed at the backend, then security is maintained, but bandwidth and latency constraints worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing tasks between backend and gateway devices. The backend performs cryptographic key generation and maintains security, while the gateway performs local computations on encrypted data. This segmentation allows security-critical operations to remain at the backend while enabling efficient local processing for non-critical computations, thus resolving the contradiction between security and transmission efficiency.
3Reliability
If encrypted data is transmitted end-to-end, then security is improved, but the ability to perform local computations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cryptographic parameters by introducing functional encryption keys that enable specific computations on encrypted data. Instead of using standard encryption that completely prevents access to encrypted data, the system uses functional encryption parameters that allow the gateway to compute functions (such as aggregation or comparison) on encrypted data without decrypting it, thus resolving the contradiction between encryption and local processing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to the use of cryptographic techniques to facilitate local decision making at a gateway device (120) interfacing between an operator device (110) and edge devices (130), for example as can be found in Internet of Things infrastructures. Local decision making is facilitated in the context of end to end encryption of data between the edge device and operator device by enabling a function of the data to be computed at the gateway (120) without decrypting the data, for example using Functional Encryption (FE). The gateway determines an action based on the computed function, for example whether to transmit the data to the operator device (110). Examples of edge devices are video surveillance cameras or utility consumption meters but the disclosure is applicable to any edge device that produces data to be transmitted with end to end encryption. The disclosure is also not limited to IoT infrastructures.