OTP Token Cloning via State Transfer for Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing one-time password (OTP) token systems require multiple physical tokens per account and necessitate frequent replacements due to aging and battery life issues, and there is a need for a mechanism to capture and replicate OTP tokens between devices while maintaining state and functionality to prevent synchronization loss and allow sharing or backup.
Innovation Solution
A method for selectively capturing and replicating OTP tokens from one device to another, involving the transfer of state information to enable time-synchronized OTP sequence generation on the secondary device, allowing for cloning and resurrection of OTP functionality between devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple physical OTP tokens are used per account, then security is improved, but device complexity and user burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple OTP token functionalities into a single communication device by storing multiple sets of authentication credentials (serial numbers, passwords, synchronization data) in the device's memory. This allows one device to perform the security function of multiple separate tokens while reducing the physical number of devices the user must carry and manage.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication device is designed to universally support multiple OTP token instances and can selectively activate different token sets based on user selection. The device can store credentials for multiple accounts and switch between them, making a single device perform the work of multiple specialized tokens.
2Reliability
If OTP tokens are replaced periodically, then reliability is maintained, but loss of time and operational disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to pre-load authentication credentials into the communication device before they are needed. By storing multiple token sets in advance, the device is ready to immediately provide authentication without requiring real-time replacement or reconfiguration when a token expires or is compromised.
Solution Approach 2:
The device can discard expired or compromised credential sets and recover by loading new authentication data. The system manages the lifecycle of multiple credential sets, automatically or manually replacing old credentials with new ones, thereby maintaining continuous authentication capability without service interruption.
3Adaptability or versatility
If OTP state is transferred between devices, then adaptability is improved, but risk of synchronization loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates synchronization mechanisms that monitor and track the state of OTP credentials across devices. By implementing feedback loops that verify synchronization status and detect drift between devices, the system can alert users to potential synchronization issues and take corrective action to maintain reliability while enabling cross-device adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Structures and methods are disclosed for selectively capturing (“peeling”) and replicating (“cloning”) OTP tokens from one device to another while maintaining OTP state. Embodiments described herein provide for sending, from a first device to a second device, state information including for example, a key, a current OTP sequence value and a time to expiry value corresponding to selected tokens to be cloned. The second device thereafter uses the state information to generate OTP sequences corresponding to the selected tokens in time-synchronization with corresponding authentication entities. Additionally, embodiments described herein provide for restoring the OTP sequence corresponding to the selected tokens on the first device following a loss of synchronization of the selected tokens on the first device.