Pseudonym Generation Using Cryptographic One-Way Functions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer-implemented pseudonym generation schemes often require third-party involvement for binding user identities to pseudonyms, compromising user privacy, and lack efficient methods for generating secure pseudonyms that can be used across multiple applications without storing sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
A method using a cryptographic one-way function, specifically an embedding and randomizing function, to generate pseudonyms from user-selected secrets, where the pseudonym is derived directly from the user's input without storing the private key, utilizing elliptic curve cryptography and embedding functions like binary cantor pairing to ensure security and uniqueness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If third-party involvement is used for binding user identities to pseudonyms, then pseudonym generation can be implemented, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the third-party binding function and replaces it with a self-contained cryptographic mechanism. Users generate pseudonyms locally using their own private keys through elliptic curve cryptography, eliminating the need for external authorities to bind identities to pseudonyms while maintaining system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic one-way functions as intermediaries between user identity and pseudonym. The embedding function maps user attributes to cryptographic values, and the randomizing function adds entropy, creating a privacy-preserving mediation layer that maintains reliability without compromising privacy
2Reliability
If private keys are stored for pseudonym generation, then secure pseudonym creation is enabled, but security is reduced due to storage requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary cryptographic key generation and pseudonym creation before any data storage occurs. Private keys are generated in-memory and used immediately to create pseudonyms, which are then stored instead of the sensitive private keys, eliminating the security risk of long-term private key storage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent treats private keys as temporary, in-memory objects that are discarded after use. Instead of persisting private keys to storage media, the system generates them temporarily, uses them for pseudonym creation, and then discards them, replacing them when needed without requiring secure long-term storage
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cryptographic functions are applied to generate pseudonyms, then privacy protection is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the cryptographic functions to balance security and efficiency. Specifically, it uses embedding functions that map user attributes to fixed-size cryptographic values and randomizing functions that add controlled amounts of entropy, achieving strong privacy protection with manageable computational requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pseudonym generation process into distinct cryptographic stages: an embedding phase that maps user attributes to cryptographic values, and a randomizing phase that adds entropy. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining privacy protection
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a computer readable storage medium (108, 812, 900) having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a computing device (100, 700, 802, 900) cause the computing device to perform a method of generating a pseudonym (118), the method comprising the steps of: - accessing (500, 600) an input value (116, 714); and - calculating (206, 502, 602) a pseudonym by applying a cryptographic one-way function (128, 718) to the input value, wherein the cryptographic one-way function is an injective function.