Private Key Management via Distributed Secret Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current key management systems face challenges in ensuring the safe storage, retrieval, and certification of private keys, particularly in asymmetric cryptography, where exposure to third parties can compromise encryption security, and there is a need for secure key recovery when devices become unavailable.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that divide a private key into multiple secret key parts, encrypting and storing them across a verification server and a mobile device using a unique user identifier, hardware identification, location, and biometric data, with optional backup storage, allowing secure certification and recovery processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a private key is stored in a single location for easy retrieval, then key accessibility is improved, but security is worsened due to exposure risk to third parties
Solution Approach 1:
The private key is divided into multiple secret key parts (first secret key part, second secret key part, third secret key part) and stored in different locations (verification server, mobile device, and backup location). This segmentation ensures that no single location holds the complete private key, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining retrieval capability through distributed storage.
2Reliability
If a private key is divided into multiple parts and stored in different locations, then security is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A verification server acts as an intermediary between the mobile device and backup storage locations. The verification server manages the distribution and verification of secret key parts, handling the complexity of key management operations. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing coordination functions while maintaining security through distributed storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-dividing the private key into multiple secret key parts and storing them in secure locations before any potential key recovery scenario. Authentication data including hardware identification, location information, and biometric data are collected and verified in advance, enabling rapid and secure key recovery when needed without requiring complex real-time processing.
3Reliability
If biometric data and hardware identification are required for key recovery, then security is improved, but ease of operation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes self-service characteristics by automatically collecting hardware identification data from the device and biometric data from the user during normal operation. These authentication factors are stored and automatically verified during key recovery processes, reducing the manual effort required from users while maintaining high security standards. The device itself contributes to its own authentication verification.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple authentication factors (biometric data, hardware identification, location information) are merged into a unified authentication process. The verification server combines these different types of authentication data to verify user identity and authorize key recovery. This merging approach maintains high security through multi-factor authentication while presenting a unified, simplified interface to users during recovery operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for secret key management, implemented using a mobile device and a verification server, includes: generating a key request including a user identifier (UID) and an identification data set; in response the key request, determining whether the key request is from a registered user; after determining that the key request is from a registered user, decrypting one of multiple secret key parts stored in the verification server and transmitting the decrypted secret key part to the mobile device; in response to receipt of the decrypted secret key part, decrypting the remaining secret key parts and generating a private key accordingly; authorizing a target data file using the private key; and clearing a record of the private key.