Dedicated HSM Partition Access Without CSP Authentication Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Organizations using cloud services face a lack of trust in Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) managed by cloud service providers (CSPs) due to potential access and control by the CSP, which compromises security and compliance with regulatory standards.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where organizations manage their own authentication by generating a Partition Owner Trust Anchor Certificate (POTAC) and Partition Owner Authentication Certificate (POAC) independently, ensuring the CSP is not involved in user authentication to an HSM partition, using TLS connections and load balancers with private IP addresses to secure access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cloud service provider manages and controls the HSM, then the HSM can be accessed and operated efficiently, but the organization cannot trust that the CSP will not access or observe the secure information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication and certificate verification functions from the cloud service provider's control plane. The organization generates and manages its own trust anchor certificates and authentication certificates independently, removing the CSP's ability to observe or control the authentication process while maintaining efficient HSM access through the CSP's infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the HSM access architecture into distinct components: the organization's authentication system (generating trust anchor and authentication certificates), the CSP's HSM infrastructure, and the verification service running on the HSM. This segmentation allows the organization to maintain cryptographic control while utilizing CSP resources.
2Reliability
If the organization generates and manages its own authentication certificates independently from the CSP, then trust and security are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The organization performs self-service by generating its own trust anchor certificates and authentication certificates using its own key pairs. This self-service approach eliminates dependency on the CSP's certificate authority while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized cryptographic processes and automated verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of providing access to a hardware security module (HSM) partition may include receiving request for access to the HSM partition from a client device. The request may include a leaf certificate signed with a public key associated with a user and a secret key associated with the client device. The method may include verifying the request using the leaf certificate and a trust anchor certificate signed with a public key associated with the client device. The method may include a first connection between the HSM partition and the client device. The method may include verifying the request using the leaf certificate and an authentication certificate stored on the HSM partition. The method may include establishing a second connection between the client device and the HSM partition such that the computing system is isolated from the second connection.