Hardware Security Module Remote Attestation via Digital Certificates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions lack a method for remote attestation of a security module's Level of Assurance, particularly for network-connected IoT devices without human interfaces, and do not allow for the secure creation and transfer of cryptographic credentials that maintain the same assurance level as original vetted credentials.
Innovation Solution
A digital certificate is issued onto a hardware security module within a certified manufacturing environment, ensuring public key pairs are generated uniquely within the module, enabling remote verification of its identity and authentication level, and allowing secure transfer of credentials to maintain the chain of trust.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cryptographic credentials are verified remotely for IoT devices without human interfaces, then authentication capability is improved, but the ability to verify Level of Assurance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a certificate authority as an intermediary that issues digital certificates containing Level of Assurance information. This mediator enables remote verification by providing a trusted third party that vouches for the security module's assurance level, allowing IoT devices to be authenticated remotely with verified LoA without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the Level of Assurance information from the security module and embeds it into a digital certificate issued by a certificate authority. This extraction allows the LoA to be verified remotely through the certificate without requiring direct access to or physical inspection of the security module itself.
2Reliability
If digital certificates are issued to hardware security modules, then remote verification of identity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the hardware security module to self-attest its Level of Assurance by providing cryptographic proof of its security properties. The module generates and manages its own attestation credentials and can independently verify its own security state, eliminating the need for external verification infrastructure and reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If public key pairs are generated within the security module boundary, then security assurance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs key generation and certificate issuance as preliminary actions during the manufacturing process. The hardware security module is provisioned with digital certificates and cryptographic credentials before deployment, enabling immediate remote verification upon activation. This preliminary provisioning eliminates the need for post-manufacturing verification setup and simplifies deployment.
Data Source
AI summary
A method by which a hardware security module can attest remotely to its measure of trust as determined by its security certifications and the Level of Assurance it can be relied on to support without the human witnessing elements that are currently used to validate this trust. In a further embodiment the Level of Assurance can be transported to a second hardware security module.