Local Keychain for Secure Peer Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The TLS protocol is cumbersome to administer for servers due to certificate management difficulties, requiring time, paperwork, and money to obtain digital certificates from Certificate Authorities.
Innovation Solution
A system that establishes a secure connection by obtaining a peer's identity, looking it up in a local store, and if not found, asking the user for trust confirmation, with the option to import digital certificates and perform out-of-band validation for self-signed certificates, allowing for secure connections without relying on Certificate Authorities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TLS protocol is used to provide security on communication channels, then privacy and authentication are provided, but certificate management becomes cumbersome and requires time, paperwork, and money
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the certificate management complexity from the TLS protocol implementation by introducing a separate keychain infrastructure. The keychain stores cryptographic materials (keys and certificates) locally on each device, allowing TLS to function without requiring external certificate authorities. This separation eliminates the administrative burden of obtaining and managing certificates from CAs while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The keychain acts as an intermediary between the TLS protocol and the cryptographic materials. Instead of directly managing certificates through complex administrative processes, the keychain provides a simplified interface for storing, retrieving, and managing cryptographic identities. This intermediary layer abstracts away the complexity of certificate management while enabling TLS security functions.
2Reliability
If digital certificates from Certificate Authorities are obtained for TLS servers, then authentication is provided, but the process takes time, paperwork, and money
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables devices to generate and manage their own cryptographic identities through local keychain operations. Instead of requiring external Certificate Authorities to issue certificates, each device can create its own key pairs and store them locally. This self-service approach eliminates the time-consuming process of applying to, waiting for approval from, and paying Certificate Authorities while maintaining authentication capabilities.
3Reliability
If traditional TLS certificate management is implemented, then secure communication is achieved, but administrative burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the administrative burden of certificate management by separating the cryptographic identity management (handled locally by keychains) from the communication security (handled by TLS). This extraction eliminates the need for administrators to interact with Certificate Authorities, manage certificate lifecycles, and handle paperwork, while TLS continues to provide secure communication.
Solution Approach 2:
Each device independently manages its own cryptographic materials through local keychain operations. This self-service model eliminates the need for centralized certificate management infrastructure and administrative overhead. Devices can generate, store, and use their own cryptographic identities without requiring external intervention or administrative processes.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that establishes a secure connection with a peer. During operation, the system obtains an identity for the peer. Next, the system looks up the identity for the peer in a local store, which contains identities for trusted peers. If this lookup fails, the system asks a user if the peer can be trusted. If the user indicates that the peer can be trusted, the system establishes a secure connection with the peer.