Certificate Provisioning via MSO Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing certificate provisioning systems face challenges in efficiently managing trust and authentication for devices accessing electronic services, particularly in reducing the burden on users to input security information and processing demands on centralized certificate provisioning services.
Innovation Solution
A centralized certificate provisioning system that relies on a Multiple System Operator (MSO) to verify device trust through two-factor authentication, using a trusted connection and assertions to provision certificates, thereby offloading authentication and trust determination from the centralized service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized certificate provisioning service performs individual trust determinations for each device, then certificate issuance can be controlled with high security, but the processing burden and complexity on the centralized service increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Multiple System Operator (MSO) as an intermediary between the subscriber and the centralized certificate provisioning service. The MSO performs trust determinations and authentication decisions locally, acting as a mediator that reduces the processing burden on the centralized service while maintaining security controls. This intermediary structure allows the centralized service to issue certificates without performing individual trust assessments for each device.
2Reliability
If users must input security information manually for certificate provisioning, then authentication can be verified, but the user burden and operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service authentication where the MSO automatically performs trust determinations and authentication decisions without requiring manual user input for security information. The system uses automated mechanisms such as device identification, trust relationship verification, and automatic certificate issuance, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring extensive user intervention while maintaining secure authentication.
3Reliability
If the centralized service performs detailed trust assessments for each device, then security control is maintained, but the time required for certificate provisioning increases
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing the MSO as an intermediary that performs trust assessments locally, the patent eliminates the time-consuming process of detailed trust evaluations at the centralized service. The MSO pre-establishes trust relationships and performs rapid authentication decisions, enabling fast certificate provisioning while maintaining security control through the intermediary's trust assessment capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Provisioning a device with a certificate is contemplated. The certificate may be used to verify whether the device or a user of the device is authorized to access electronic content, services, and signaling. The certificate may be provisioned in relation to the device having successfully completed a two-factor authentication process so that an entity providing the certificate need not have to repeat the two-factor authentication process.