IoT Private Key Storage with Write-Only Memory Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryptographic methods for IoT devices face challenges in generating high-quality cryptographic keys due to lack of entropy, vulnerability to quantum attacks, and insecure key distribution, especially in environments where physical security is compromised.
Innovation Solution
A system for generating cryptographic keys using entropy harvested from user-chosen numerical sequences and external factors, such as images, combined with a proximity-based communication interface and dedicated memory for secure key storage, ensuring quantum-resistant encryption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If asymmetric ciphers are used for secure communication setup, then key distribution security is improved, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cryptographic system is segmented into two distinct parts: asymmetric ciphers for initial secure key distribution and symmetric ciphers for bulk data encryption. This segmentation allows each cipher type to be used for its optimal purpose, reducing overall computational overhead while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
Asymmetric key pair generation and exchange is performed as a preliminary action before actual data communication. The computationally intensive key establishment happens once beforehand, allowing subsequent symmetric encryption to proceed with minimal computational overhead.
2Ease of operation
If traditional asymmetric ciphers like RSA or DH are used, then key generation is simplified, but vulnerability to quantum attacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional RSA/DH parameter spaces to lattice-based cryptographic parameters. This parameter change enables quantum resistance while maintaining comparable key generation complexity through structured lattice problems that are hard for both classical and quantum computers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mathematical foundations of traditional asymmetric ciphers (factoring and discrete logarithm problems) with lattice-based cryptographic mechanisms. This substitution provides quantum resistance while maintaining operational simplicity through well-defined lattice problems and efficient algorithms.
3Ease of operation
If private keys are stored in accessible memory for operational use, then encryption/decryption operations are enabled, but security against physical attacks is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The private key is extracted from general-purpose accessible memory and placed in a dedicated secure storage location within the encryption circuitry. This extraction ensures the key remains available for cryptographic operations while being isolated from systems that could compromise its security.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated key management interface acts as an intermediary between the private key storage and the encryption engine. This intermediary controls and monitors all access to the key, enabling necessary cryptographic operations while preventing unauthorized access or extraction attempts.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is disclosed for storing a private key on an IoT device for encrypted communication with an external user device and includes a proximity-based communication interface, encryption circuitry and IoT functional circuitry. The encryption circuitry includes a memory having a dedicated memory location allocated for storage of encryption keys utilized in the encrypting/decrypting operations, an encryption engine for performing the encryption/decryption operation with at least one of the stored encryption keys in association with the operation of the IoT functional circuitry, an input/output interface for interfacing with the proximity-based communication interface to allow information to be exchanged with a user device in a dedicated private key transfer operation, an internal system interface for interfacing with the IoT functional circuitry for transfer of information therebetween, memory control circuitry for controlling storage of a received private key from the input/output interface for storage in the dedicated memory location in the memory, in a Write-only memory storage operation relative to the private key received from the input/output interface over the proximity-based communication interface, the memory control circuitry inhibiting any Read operation of the dedicated memory location in the memory through the input/output interface. The IoT functional circuitry includes a controller for controlling the operation of the input/output interface and the memory control circuitry in a private key transfer operation to interface with the external user device to control the encryption circuitry for transfer of a private key from the user device through the proximity-based communication interface for storage in the dedicated memory location in the memory, the controller interfacing with the encryption circuitry via the internal system interface, and operational circuitry for interfacing with the user device over a peer to peer communication link and encrypting/decrypting information therebetween with the encryption engine in the encryption circuitry.