Provisioning Control Apparatus for Secure HSM Group Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure hardware security modules (HSMs) used for provisioning electronic components with security-sensitive data are vulnerable to failures due to physical damage, leading to loss of OEM keys and resulting in significant delays and costs in manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A provisioning control apparatus, comprising a secure HSM configured to generate a group context for sharing with additional HSMs, creating a group of provisioning control apparatuses that can continue provisioning electronic components with security-sensitive data even if one HSM fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single secure HSM is used for provisioning electronic components with security-sensitive data, then security control is centralized and management is simplified, but the system becomes vulnerable to failures due to physical damage, leading to loss of OEM keys and manufacturing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the provisioning control function into multiple independent HSM instances (first HSM, second HSM, third HSM) instead of relying on a single HSM. Each HSM can independently provision electronic components, creating redundancy that ensures provisioning continuity even if one HSM fails due to physical damage or other issues.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple HSM instances are combined into a unified provisioning system where they share common functionality and can operate cooperatively. The HSMs work together as a group, with any member able to perform provisioning operations, effectively merging their capabilities while maintaining individual operational independence for fault tolerance.
2Ease of repair
If backups of OEM keys are stored outside the secure HSM, then key recovery becomes possible after HSM failure, but the security protection of OEM keys is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates functional copies of the HSM's provisioning capability across multiple independent HSM instances. Instead of copying sensitive keys to external storage, each HSM instance is provisioned with the ability to generate and use OEM keys independently, allowing any HSM to take over provisioning operations without requiring key extraction or external backup restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary enrollment mechanism where a new HSM can be enrolled into the provisioning system without direct access to OEM keys from failed HSMs. The enrollment server acts as an intermediary that facilitates the integration of replacement HSM instances, enabling recovery from HSM failure while maintaining security boundaries and preventing direct key exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
A provisioning control apparatus configured to be coupled to a provisioning equipment server electrically connectable with one or more electronic devices for provisioning the electronic devices with security sensitive provisioning data. The provisioning control apparatus includes a processor configured to generate a group context for sharing the group context with a first further provisioning control apparatus for creating a group of provisioning control apparatuses. The processor is configured to assign an identity to the first further provisioning control apparatus. The identity of the first further provisioning control apparatus is indicative of the provisioning control apparatus and the first further provisioning control apparatus. The processor is configured to generate the security sensitive provisioning data based on the group context. The provisioning control apparatus includes a communication interface configured to provide the security sensitive provisioning data to the provisioning equipment server.