Password Authentication Using Controlled Delay Hashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current password security methods are vulnerable to brute force and dictionary attacks, especially when hackers use high-speed processors to crack hashed passwords, and the storage of secret keys poses additional risks, leading to compromised security even with encryption and hashing techniques.
Innovation Solution
A secure password system that generates online and offline passwords using a slow hashing technique, where the online password has a minimal slow hash value for quick access and the offline password has a high slow hash value to prevent cracking, with the ability to authenticate users through a centralized authentication server or locally when the server is unavailable, combining slow hash values with other security techniques like adding salt and memory hard functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional hashing techniques (SHA256, SHA512) are used to store passwords, then password verification is fast, but passwords become vulnerable to brute force and dictionary attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of hashing speed by introducing a controlled delay mechanism. Instead of using fast hashing algorithms alone, the system applies a time-delay function during password verification that simulates slow hashing without requiring actual slow hash algorithms. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast verification throughput while effectively increasing the time cost for attackers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary delay function that acts as a mediator between the password input and the hashing process. This intermediary layer adds computational overhead that mimics slow hashing behavior, protecting against brute force attacks while keeping the overall system architecture compatible with standard fast hashing algorithms.
2Reliability
If slow hashing techniques (PBKDF2) are used to increase cracking time, then password security improves, but offline attack scale can be increased and time to crack passwords decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the slow hashing effect through software-based delay simulation. Instead of actually implementing computationally expensive slow hash algorithms like PBKDF2, the system replicates their time-consuming behavior using controlled delays and iterative operations, achieving similar security effects without the proportional increase in cracking time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/computational approach of actual slow hashing with a software-controlled timing mechanism. Rather than performing thousands of iterative hash computations, the system uses programmed delays and controlled processing steps to achieve the same security effect, substituting computational mechanics with software timing control.
3Reliability
If encryption with secret key storage is used, then password security is enhanced, but secret key retrieval from file system creates additional vulnerability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the secret key management problem from the traditional encryption model. Instead of storing and managing separate secret keys in the file system, the system derives all necessary verification parameters directly from the user's password through the delay function, eliminating the need for persistent secret key storage and the associated security risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes the password itself self-sufficient for verification purposes. Through the delay function, the password generates its own verification signature without requiring external secret keys, making the authentication process self-contained and eliminating the vulnerability of secret key exposure.
4Reliability
If high security authentication is implemented, then system security is improved, but user access time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of authentication time by implementing a controlled delay function that provides security without the excessive time cost of traditional slow hashing. The delay is tuned to provide adequate security (making offline attacks impractical) while keeping online verification time acceptable for user experience.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system has been provided in which the security of passwords in general and offline passwords in particular can be enhanced and which can enable users to be authenticated into secure network systems via network elements (NEs) in case of non-availability of centralized authentication system (CAS). The overall security of network or CAS or systems operating in isolated yet secured environment can be prevented from compromise even if the offline password is compromised. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are described.