Integrity Gather Program with Embedded Encryption Key
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network security protocols, such as Trusted Network Connect (TNC), face challenges in effectively authenticating client integrity before granting network access, as they rely on manual checks that can be inefficient and prone to tampering.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a server-generated encryption key is used to modify a trusted integrity gather program, which is executed on a client, gathering data that is then encrypted and returned to the server for authentication, utilizing a hash value and private key for decryption to ensure the client's integrity meets security standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual integrity checks are used to authenticate clients before network access, then security verification can be performed, but the process becomes inefficient and prone to tampering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual integrity checking mechanisms with an automated cryptographic system. A trusted integrity gather program is compiled with embedded encryption keys and hash functions, automatically collecting integrity data from multiple system components (OS version, patch levels, security software, hardware configurations) and generating cryptographic proofs without human intervention. This automated cryptographic verification process eliminates the inefficiencies and tampering risks of manual checks while maintaining high reliability.
2Reliability
If encryption keys are embedded in the integrity gather program to ensure secure data collection, then authentication security is improved, but the program complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-compiling the integrity gather program with embedded encryption keys and hash functions before deployment. The program is created once with all necessary cryptographic elements integrated into its binary structure, then distributed to clients for execution. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex runtime key management or cryptographic library integrations, reducing operational complexity while maintaining strong security. The program structure is simplified because cryptographic functionality is baked in rather than assembled at runtime.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided to receive a request at a first computer system from a second system. The first system generates an encryption key, modifies retrieved source code by inserting the generated encryption key into the source code, and compiles the modified source code into an executable. A hash value of the executable program is calculated and is stored along with the encryption key in a memory area. The executable and the hash value are sent to the second system over a network. The executable is executed and it generates an encrypted result using the hash value and the embedded encryption key. The encrypted result is sent back to the first system where it is authenticated using the stored encryption key and hash value.