RPC Proxies for Network Device Mutual Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network device authentication technologies fail to effectively establish mutual trust and secure communication among various network devices in a customer site, leading to potential security breaches and communication failures.
Innovation Solution
The method employs Remote Procedure Call (RPC) proxies to access identity certificates from Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) of network devices, establishing Transport Layer Security (TLS) connections in a specific sequence based on network topology to perform mutual authentication, ensuring secure communication and preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used among network devices, then device compatibility is maintained, but network security is compromised due to inability to establish mutual trust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces RPC proxies as intermediary components that facilitate secure authentication between network devices. These proxies act as mediators that establish TLS connections and validate identity certificates, enabling mutual trust without requiring direct complex authentication mechanisms between all device pairs. The proxies handle the authentication overhead, simplifying the overall system while enhancing security.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system is segmented into distinct functional components: TPM modules for certificate storage, RPC proxies for connection management, and TLS protocol for secure communication. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific security tasks, improving overall reliability while making the complex authentication process more manageable and modular.
2Reliability
If TLS connections are established between all network devices for mutual authentication, then network security is enhanced, but communication overhead and authentication time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions by establishing TLS connections and validating certificates through RPC proxies before actual data communication begins. This preliminary security setup ensures that when devices need to communicate, the authentication framework is already in place, reducing the time penalty during operational communication phases.
Solution Approach 2:
Once TLS connections are established through the RPC proxies, the secure communication channels remain active and continuous for subsequent data exchanges. This eliminates the need to repeatedly establish authentication connections for each communication event, reducing overall authentication time while maintaining continuous security validation.
3Reliability
If identity certificates are stored in TPM modules for secure authentication, then certificate security is improved, but access complexity to certificates increases
Solution Approach 1:
RPC proxies serve as intermediaries that manage access to certificates stored in TPM modules. The proxies handle the complexity of retrieving and utilizing certificates from the secure TPM storage, presenting a simplified interface to the authentication process while maintaining the security benefits of TPM-protected certificate storage.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for network device authentication involves using Remote Procedure Call (RPC) proxies of network devices of a network at a customer site, accessing identity certificates from Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) of the network devices, and using the RPC proxies, sequentially establishing Transport Layer Security (TLS) connections between the network devices to perform mutual authentication between the network devices based on the identity certificates.