Message-Level Encryption for Service APIs Through Unsecure Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Financial institutions face challenges in securing message transmission within their systems due to the 'onion security model' where messages are decrypted and re-encrypted at each layer, exposing unencrypted messages to operations personnel, and most have not transitioned to secure data centers, leading to potential data exposure.
Innovation Solution
Implementing message-level encryption using dedicated processors to encrypt and decrypt messages with session keys, ensuring secure transmission through unsecure zones within both the requesting and responding party's computer systems, and storing public and private keys in Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) to maintain message integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If message-level encryption is implemented to secure transmission through unsecure zones, then data security is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple encryption layers and dedicated processors
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption system is segmented into multiple independent layers: message-level encryption using session keys, transport-level encryption, and HSM-based key management. Each layer operates independently with its own dedicated processors, allowing the system to achieve high security without requiring complete redesign of the entire encryption infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
Dedicated encryption processors act as intermediaries between the application layer and network layer, handling encryption/decryption operations without requiring changes to existing application logic or network infrastructure. The HSM serves as an intermediary for secure key storage and management, isolating sensitive cryptographic operations from the main system.
2Reliability
If multiple layers of encryption are applied to messages, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but processing time increases due to repeated encryption and decryption operations
Solution Approach 1:
Session keys are generated and distributed before message transmission begins. The HSM pre-establishes secure key pairs and stores them ready for use. This preliminary setup allows messages to be encrypted/decrypted using pre-configured keys rather than performing complex key generation during transmission, significantly reducing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses symmetric session keys as simplified copies of the security mechanism for actual message encryption, while asymmetric keys stored in HSM are used only for key exchange and establishment. This copying approach allows fast symmetric encryption to handle the bulk of security operations without the computational overhead of asymmetric encryption for every message.
3Ease of operation
If operations personnel are granted physical and login access to servers for operational purposes, then ease of operation is improved, but data security deteriorates as personnel can view unencrypted messages
Solution Approach 1:
Different security properties are applied to different parts of the system: messages remain encrypted throughout their passage through unsecure zones including server environments where personnel have access. Only the authorized receiving system can decrypt and view message contents. This allows personnel to freely access servers for operational tasks without compromising message confidentiality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses asymmetric cryptography where the receiving system holds the private key capability to decrypt messages, while operations personnel have only physical and login access without decryption capabilities. This asymmetric arrangement allows personnel access for operational purposes while maintaining message confidentiality, as the decryption capability is mathematically separated from physical access.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are requesting party and responding party computer systems which perform a message level encryption for messages sent through the computer systems. Using the message level encryption, the computer systems may prevent those with access to an unsecured zone in one or more of the computer systems from viewing the messages.