Partially Regenerable Identifier Fields for Network Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing identifier systems used by devices for network communication are static and unstructured, making it difficult to maintain user confidentiality and privacy, as they can be easily linked to specific users or devices through analysis, and users have limited control over the masking or updating of identifier fields.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for generating a structured and partially regenerable identifier, where fields of the identifier are populated with seed values, hashed, and encrypted separately, allowing users to customize and update the identifier on demand or periodically, thereby masking the semantics of the identifier values and limiting temporal analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If static and unstructured identifiers are used for network communication, then device identification and service authentication are simplified, but user privacy and confidentiality are compromised as identifiers can be easily linked to specific users through analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The identifier is divided into multiple fields (e.g., first field, second field, third field) that can be independently hashed and encrypted. This segmentation allows selective updating of individual fields without regenerating the entire identifier, thereby protecting user privacy while maintaining service functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The identifier system transitions from static to dynamic by allowing periodic or on-demand regeneration of individual fields. The apparatus can update specific fields (e.g., second field) while keeping others (e.g., first field) constant, creating a dynamic identifier that adapts to privacy requirements without complete regeneration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If identifier fields are updated frequently to enhance privacy, then user confidentiality is improved, but system complexity and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of regenerating the entire identifier, the system applies partial action by updating only specific fields (e.g., second field) while maintaining others (e.g., first field) unchanged. This reduces computational overhead and system complexity while still achieving privacy enhancement through selective regeneration.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus pre-establishes the structure of the identifier with multiple hashable fields and stores the relationship between fields and their corresponding hash values. This preliminary structuring enables efficient partial updates without requiring complex real-time processing during regeneration events.
3Reliability
If all identifier fields are hashed and encrypted together, then identifier security is maximized, but the ability to partially regenerate specific fields is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The identifier structure is segmented into multiple independently hashable fields. Each field can be individually encrypted and regenerated, allowing the system to maintain high security through hashing while simultaneously enabling partial regeneration of specific fields without affecting others.
Solution Approach 2:
Different fields of the identifier have different properties - some fields (e.g., first field) remain constant while others (e.g., second field) are periodically updated. This local differentiation allows the system to apply security measures and regeneration strategies tailored to specific field requirements, balancing security and adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An approach is provided for generating a structured and partially regenerate identifier. An identification generation platform receives a request to generate at least one regenerate identifier that includes, at least in part, a plurality of fields. The identification generation platform determines to separately hash and/or encrypt the respective ones of the plurality of fields. A generation of the at least one identifier is caused, based at least in part, on the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields.