Integrated Network Packet Header for Secure Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed data transmission between computing devices faces challenges such as data security breaches, including replay attacks and packet modifications, due to the separation of transport and security layers in conventional network packets, which complicates authentication and key management.
Innovation Solution
Integrating transport and security layers within a single header of a network packet, allowing devices to authenticate and verify data integrity using initialization vectors and security keys, while enabling efficient key distribution and renewal without disrupting data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption and decryption keys are distributed between pairs of computing devices, then data security is improved, but device complexity and key management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges transport layer and security layer fields within a single header of network packets. This integration simplifies the overall structure and reduces the complexity of managing separate security mechanisms while maintaining data security through encrypted payloads and authentication headers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal security group where multiple devices share common security keys rather than requiring unique key pairs for each device pair. This multi-functional approach allows any device in the security group to communicate securely with any other device, significantly reducing key management complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If separate transport and security layers are used in conventional network packets, then security functions are provided, but authentication complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines transport layer fields (sequence numbers, packet counters) and security layer fields (authentication vectors, integrity checks) into a single integrated header. This merging reduces authentication complexity by eliminating the need to process separate headers while maintaining all necessary security functions.
3Reliability
If encryption is applied to all data transmissions, then data security is improved, but transmission efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies encryption selectively to the payload portion of network packets while keeping headers unencrypted or using lighter authentication mechanisms. This local quality approach ensures that security is applied where most needed (the data payload) while maintaining transmission efficiency by avoiding heavy encryption overhead on all packet components.
4Reliability
If security keys are frequently renewed to maintain security, then data security is improved, but transmission disruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a security group model where multiple devices share common security keys, allowing for key renewal without requiring pairwise key updates. This universal key management approach enables more frequent security key rotation while maintaining transmission continuity, as key renewals can be managed at the group level rather than requiring coordination between each device pair.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to systems for generating network packets that facilitate reliable and secure transmission of data between computing devices. For example, systems described herein involve generating a network packet in which a transport layer and security layer are implemented within an authentication header of the network packet. Information from the authentication header may be evaluated by a receiving device using a security key to compute an integrity check vector and an initialization vector to determine that a network packet has been provided in a correct order as well as check against a variety of security threats.