Packet Provenance Passports for Spoof-Resistant Encrypted Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internet packets lack verifiable identification information, making them susceptible to IP address spoofing and compromising security, leading to significant cybercrime and security threats, with existing security methodologies like ZTNA being complex and costly, primarily impractical for smaller networks.
Innovation Solution
Implement a multi-tiered encryption stack with an Identity-Aware Framework (IAF) that includes a Passport data file embedded in packets to provide verifiable packet identity and provenance, ensuring secure and policy-controlled communication through an encrypted tunnel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If IP addresses are used for packet routing, then packet transmission is enabled, but IP addresses can be spoofed and compromised leading to security threats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an encryption tunnel as an intermediary between the packet source and destination. The tunnel encapsulates the original packet with additional security layers, including encrypted source identity information. This intermediary structure allows the packet to maintain its routing functionality while protecting the source identity from spoofing, as the encryption tunnel verifies and authenticates the packet source before allowing transmission.
2Reliability
If deep packet inspection and firewall tables are used to verify packet validity, then security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing an encryption tunnel and attaching encrypted provenance information to packets before they enter the network. This pre-verification and pre-protection mechanism eliminates the need for complex deep packet inspection and firewall table lookups during packet processing. The security verification is performed upfront during tunnel establishment, simplifying subsequent packet handling while maintaining high reliability.
3Reliability
If encryption is applied to protect packet identity, then security is improved, but IP addresses cannot be identified by routing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet structure into distinct functional components: the original packet payload, an encrypted provenance layer containing source identity information, and a routing header. This segmentation allows different parts of the packet to serve different purposes - the routing header enables standard IP routing mechanisms to function, while the encrypted provenance layer protects source identity. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing both routing and security to coexist in separate packet segments.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides systems, devices, apparatus, and methods, including computer programs encoded on storage media, to verify packet validity and control packet usage based on centrally stored and locally cached device profiles and usage policies. A processing device may receive, at an encryption tunnel, an unencrypted packet or a previously encrypted packet. The packet is encrypted with a one or more layers of encryption (e.g., C2 and/or C1). The processing device generates a Passport to accompany the packet, where the Passport is a data file including information to validate the packet and control packet usage. The processing device encrypts the Passport and the packet with an additional layer of encryption (C3) that provides a multi-tiered encryption stack for the packet and outputs, from the encryption tunnel, the Passport and the packet encrypted with the additional layer of encryption.