Parameter-Based Key Derivation for Distributed Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computing environments face challenges in balancing security and efficiency, particularly in managing shared secret credentials for authentication in distributed systems, where centralized key storage can lead to scaling bottlenecks and availability issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of a signing protocol that derives artifacts from shared secret credentials, allowing authentication without revealing the actual credential, using techniques like HMAC with additional parameters such as timestamps or service identifiers to restrict key usage and enhance security in distributed systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If centralized key storage is used for authentication, then security management is simplified, but scaling bottlenecks and availability issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized key storage system into distributed key derivation components. Each computing resource instance can independently derive authentication keys using the HMAC-based key derivation function with shared secret credentials and instance-specific parameters, eliminating the single point of failure in centralized storage while maintaining security management simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary key derivation mechanism that sits between the shared secret credentials and the authentication keys. The HMAC-based derivation function acts as an intermediary that transforms shared secrets into instance-specific authentication keys, allowing distributed key generation without direct centralized storage while maintaining security control.
2Ease of manufacture
If shared secret credentials are stored centrally, then key distribution is simplified, but security risks increase upon compromise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each derived authentication key unique to its specific computing resource instance through instance-specific parameters in the key derivation function. Even though the same shared secret credential is used across multiple instances, each instance produces locally unique authentication keys with different security characteristics, so that compromise of one instance's key does not affect others.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters in the key derivation process by incorporating instance-specific parameters (such as instance identifiers or salts) into the HMAC derivation function alongside the shared secret credential. This parameter variation ensures that each instance derives a unique authentication key from the same secret, reducing the security risk of credential compromise while maintaining simplified key distribution.
3Reliability
If authentication keys are derived with restrictions, then security is enhanced, but key usage flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics by making authentication keys time-limited and scope-specific through the key derivation process. Keys are derived with embedded restrictions such as time windows, service identifiers, or resource-specific parameters, allowing the system to adapt security requirements dynamically while maintaining enhanced security through restricted usage. The keys can be rotated and regenerated with different parameters as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for authentication generate keys from secret credentials shared between authenticating parties and authenticators. Generation of the keys may involve utilizing specialized information that, as a result of being used to generate the keys, renders the generated keys usable for a smaller scope of uses than the secret credential. Further, key generation may involve multiple invocations of a function where each of at least a subset of the invocations of the function results in a key that has a smaller scope of permissible use than a key produced from a previous invocation of the function. Generated keys may be used as signing keys to sign messages. One or more actions may be taken depending on whether a message and/or the manner in which the message was submitted complies with restrictions of the a key's use.