Hardware Provisioning with Multi-Phase Cryptographic ID Bundles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for authenticating and maintaining control over computer-related hardware products throughout their lifecycle lack an effective balance between security and convenience, particularly in ensuring product integrity and availability during manufacturing, delivery, and operational phases.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a plurality of cryptographically protected identifiers generated in different phases of the manufacturing and provisioning chain, embedded in an ID bundle, with asymmetric cryptography, and an escrow key for data recovery, ensuring product authenticity and identity throughout its lifecycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple identifiers are generated and stored in different phases of the manufacturing chain, then product authentication security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into multiple independent identifier components (first identifier from boot integrity, second identifier from logistics, third identifier from production). Each identifier is generated and stored separately in different phases of the manufacturing chain, allowing incremental authentication without requiring a single complex authentication mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Identifiers are generated and stored in advance during different manufacturing phases (boot integrity phase, logistics phase, production phase) before the product reaches the end user. This preliminary action ensures authentication data is ready when needed, eliminating the need for complex real-time generation during product operation.
2Reliability
If asymmetric cryptography is used to protect identifiers, then security is improved, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The computationally intensive asymmetric cryptography operations are extracted and performed only during the manufacturing and provisioning phases when identifiers are generated and stored. During product operation, the stored identifiers are used directly without repeated cryptographic computation, significantly reducing ongoing computational overhead while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
Public keys and identifiers are copied and stored in the product after initial cryptographic generation. This allows the product to use lightweight verification operations with stored copies rather than performing heavy cryptographic computations repeatedly, reducing computational overhead during operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an escrow key system is implemented for data recovery, then data availability is improved, but security risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
An escrow key manager acts as a trusted intermediary that holds backup copies of identifiers and can provide data recovery assistance when needed. This intermediary structure enables secure data recovery without requiring the product to store vulnerable backup keys locally, maintaining security while improving data availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The escrow key system provides different security qualities to different entities: the product has full security with its stored identifiers, while the escrow key manager has controlled access for recovery purposes only. This localized quality assignment enables data recovery capability while maintaining appropriate security boundaries.
4Reliability
If product control is maintained throughout the lifecycle, then product supplier responsibility is fulfilled, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-component identifier system serves multiple functions: authentication during boot, verification during logistics, tracking during production, and enabling data recovery. This universal identifier framework allows the product supplier to maintain control across all lifecycle phases using a single integrated system rather than separate control mechanisms for each phase.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provisioning a computer related product, comprising manufacturing a product at a product manufacturing entity; maintaining a product control database at product authenticity responsible entity; assigning a first identifier to the product for the purpose of establishing a boot integrity identity of the product, said first identifier being an asymmetric private-public encryption key pair stored in the product control database; storing a copy of the public part of said first identifier (public boot integrity key) in a memory of the product; assigning a second identifier to the product for the purpose of establishing a logistics identity of the product, said second identifier comprising manufacturing information such as a serial number for the product; storing said second identifier indicating the logistics identity in the product control database; assigning a third identifier for the product for the purpose of establishing a production identity of the product, said third identifier being an asymmetric private-public encryption key pair generated by activating an encryption key generator chip provided in the product; extracting and storing a copy of the public part of said third identifier indicating a production identity in the product control database; maintaining the private part of said third identifier indicating a production identity in a storage means of the product.