Identity-Based Cryptography for Secure Medical Device Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure communication methods for medical devices require key exchange processes that introduce delays and expose cryptographic keys to security risks, compromising the integrity of communications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a trusted processor in medical devices to generate device identifier-specific secret keys using a master secret key, allowing self-provisioning without external communication, and using identity-based cryptography for secure data operations, verification, and configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional key exchange processes are used for secure communication, then cryptographic security can be achieved, but communication delays occur and cryptographic keys are exposed to security risks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary provisioning of master public keys to all communicating systems and master secret keys to trusted processors during device manufacturing or initial setup. This preliminary action eliminates the need for real-time key exchange during communication, thereby resolving the contradiction by achieving cryptographic security without communication delays
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the key generation and provisioning process from the communication process itself. By separating key provisioning (done preliminarily) from communication operations, the system eliminates the time-consuming key exchange step while maintaining cryptographic security through identity-based cryptography
2Reliability
If traditional key exchange processes are used for secure communication, then cryptographic security can be achieved, but cryptographic keys are exposed to security risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts private keys from the communication process entirely. Instead of exchanging private keys between systems, each system generates its own private key locally using identity-based cryptography. The master secret key remains confined to the trusted processor and never leaves the device, eliminating key exposure risks while maintaining cryptographic security
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces identity-based cryptography as an intermediary mechanism that eliminates the need for direct key exchange. Using the master public key and device identifier as intermediaries, systems can encrypt communications securely without ever exposing private keys, thereby resolving the contradiction between cryptographic security and key exposure risks
3Productivity
If identity-based cryptography with self-provisioning is implemented, then communication efficiency and security are improved, but device complexity increases due to trusted processor requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the key management functionality directly into the trusted processor of each device. By combining identity-based cryptography implementation with the existing trusted processor architecture, the system achieves communication efficiency improvements while minimizing the increase in device complexity through integration rather than addition
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to managing the operation of devices using identity-based cryptography. These techniques may include provisioning a master public key to each system that will communicate with a medical device using device-identifier specific cryptography. A master secret key is provisioned in a trusted processor of the medical device, and the medical device provisions its own device identifier-specific secret key using the master secret key. This setup facilitates several management features, including automatic initial configuration, signed logging, signed backup files, and secure binding of medication containers to the medical device.