Network Identity Certificate Pinning for Secure Wireless Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in ensuring they connect to legitimate networks, as malicious entities can create networks with similar names to deceive users into accessing unauthorized networks, posing a threat to privacy and security.
Innovation Solution
A network identity certificate pinning system generates unique certificates for trusted networks, which are preinstalled on authorized devices, ensuring that only legitimate connections are permitted by matching the device's certificate with the network's certificate before data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users connect to networks based on network names, then ease of connection is improved, but security against malicious networks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a certificate as an intermediary element that mediates between the user and the network. The certificate contains cryptographic verification data that proves the network's identity without requiring users to manually verify network names. This intermediary mechanism enables automatic security verification while maintaining ease of connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of network identity through certificate validation before allowing connection. The computing device checks whether the network's certificate matches expected certificates in its whitelist before establishing connection, preventing malicious networks from being accessed in the first place.
2Reliability
If certificate verification is implemented, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses cryptographic certificates which are digital copies of identity verification data. Instead of implementing complex manual verification procedures, the device stores and compares certificate copies (whitelists of expected certificates) against presented certificates, simplifying the verification process while maintaining high security.
3Measurement precision
If certificate matching is required, then network identification accuracy is improved, but connection speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs certificate verification in the background during network scanning and selection, before the user initiates connection. This preliminary action ensures that when connection is attempted, the verification is already complete, minimizing perceived connection delay while maintaining high identification accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and apparatuses for ensuring that a computing device is attempting to connect to a network, such as a wireless network, provided by an expected or trusted entity. For instance, a certificate may be generated for a network and/or associated with the network. The certificate may then be transmitted to one or more computing devices that may be authorized to access the network. Accordingly, when the computing device selects the network for connection, the system may determine whether the certificate associated with the network is paired with the certificate provided on the computing device. If so, the computing device may be permitted to transmit data over the network. Alternatively, if the network certificate is not paired with the certificate provided on the computing device, the computing device may be prevented from transmitting data over the network.