Mutual-Dependency Tokens for Decentralized Network Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing internet security methods lack network-level authentication and are vulnerable to single points of failure, with most authentication schemes operating at the application level and failing to remove third-party dependencies effectively.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized and hybrid decentralized cryptographic key storage method using mutual dependency architecture, where devices create mutual dependency tokens with stateful information stored on both the issuing and client devices, ensuring authentication through a hybrid-decentralized model that prevents single points of failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized authentication system is used, then authentication management is simplified, but a single point of failure is created
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into distributed authentication servers rather than a single centralized server. Each server holds a portion of the authentication credentials and can independently authenticate users. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure while maintaining simplified authentication management through standardized protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
A decentralized identifier (DID) system acts as an intermediary between users and authentication servers. The DID method enables direct authentication between users and multiple authentication servers without requiring a single central authority, thus maintaining ease of operation while preventing single point of failure.
2Ease of manufacture
If application-level authentication is used, then implementation is straightforward, but network-level security is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system implements a universal authentication mechanism that operates at the network level but can be applied across multiple applications and protocols. The DID authentication framework provides a single solution that works for various network services, maintaining implementation simplicity while achieving network-level security.
Solution Approach 2:
Users autonomously manage their own authentication credentials through self-sovereign identity mechanisms. The system enables users to control their own authentication data without requiring complex application-level integration, achieving network-level security while keeping implementation straightforward through standardized self-service protocols.
3Adaptability or versatility
If third-party authentication services are used, then authentication functionality is provided, but dependency on external services is created
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication functionality is extracted from external third-party services and embedded directly into the user's control through local credential storage and verification. The DID system enables users to extract authentication capabilities from centralized third-party providers and maintain them locally, providing authentication functionality while eliminating third-party dependency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of users depending on third-party services for authentication, the system inverts the relationship by enabling third parties to depend on user-held credentials for authentication. Users become the authority rather than the dependent party, maintaining authentication functionality while removing reliability concerns about third-party dependency.
Data Source
AI summary
Mutual dependency between two devices is established by creating mutual dependency tokens containing stateful information to be stored on the issuing device and the client device. The tokens can be used for both web/application-level authentication and network-level authentication. Tokens for IP or MAC addresses can be created and stored in a modified route table, allowing for the creation of private virtual subnets.