IoT Power Device Command Validation With Two-Tier Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IoT devices, particularly power distribution and defense devices (PDDDs), are vulnerable to attacks, lacking effective security standards, which can lead to critical system shutdowns.
Innovation Solution
A two-tiered validation system using a cloud network with a REST API and cloud server for IoT PDDDs, involving first and second factor authenticators to ensure secure command execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If IoT PDDDs are connected to the Internet for remote access and control, then usability and remote operation capability are improved, but vulnerability to attacks and unauthorized access increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud server as an intermediary between the IoT PDDDs and users. The device does not directly expose its control interface to the Internet, but instead communicates through the cloud server which implements authentication and command validation. This mediator architecture allows remote operation while filtering out unauthorized access attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication process is segmented into two distinct tiers: first-tier authentication verifies the user's identity, and second-tier authentication validates the command itself. This segmentation separates the concerns of user verification and command authorization, allowing each layer to be optimized independently for security and usability.
2Ease of operation
If traditional single-tier authentication is used for IoT device access, then ease of operation is maintained, but security against unauthorized commands is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is divided into two sequential tiers. The first tier handles user identity verification, and the second tier handles command authorization. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity in the first tier while adding robust security in the second tier, preventing unauthorized commands even if user authentication is compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authentication of both the user and the command before allowing execution. By validating the command's authorization status in advance (second-tier authentication), the system prevents unauthorized operations from being executed, adding a security checkpoint before the critical action occurs.
3Speed
If direct cloud connection is implemented for command execution, then response time is reduced, but security validation layers are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The security validation is segmented into two distinct phases: user authentication and command authorization. This segmentation allows the system to perform both validations through the cloud server without significantly impacting execution speed, as the validations are processed sequentially rather than requiring complex parallel processing or multiple retry attempts.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a facility including a plurality of IoT PDDs; a first end user device structured to transmit a request for a command for a target IoT PDDD; second end user devices structured to receive second factor authenticators based on a first tier validation of the request in a two-tiered validation and return the second factor authenticators for a second tier validation of the request based on second user inputs from corresponding authorized command approvers; and a cloud network including a REST API and a cloud server, the REST API structured to interface with the IoT PDDDs, the first and second end user devices and the cloud server, the cloud server including an IoT PDDD commands execution manager coupled to the REST API and structured to perform the two-tiered validation and execute the command for the target IoT PDDD upon a successful two-tiered validation via the REST API.