Satellite Data Authentication via Public-Key Package Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for distributing satellite data between entities lack effective authentication and security measures, leading to potential data alteration and vulnerability, especially in cross-border or cross-organizational data sharing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of private encryption keys and public decryption keys is implemented to encrypt and authenticate satellite data packages, ensuring only authorized entities can decrypt and verify the data, maintaining data integrity and security throughout the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If satellite data is distributed without encryption and authentication, then data accessibility and ease of sharing are improved, but data security and authenticity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Data is encrypted with the sender's private key before distribution, and the corresponding public decryption key is made available in advance. This preliminary encryption action ensures that data can be securely shared without compromising accessibility, as any entity with the public key can decrypt and verify the data's authenticity.
Solution Approach 2:
Public decryption keys act as an intermediary mechanism between data senders and receivers. These keys enable authentication and decryption without requiring direct trust relationships between entities, allowing secure data sharing across organizational or national boundaries while maintaining data integrity.
2Reliability
If public decryption keys are made available for authentication, then data authenticity verification is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each entity generates and manages its own private encryption key and corresponding public decryption key. This self-service approach to key management eliminates the need for centralized key distribution systems or complex third-party authentication infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining strong authentication capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system is segmented into independent key pairs for each entity. Rather than using a single centralized authentication mechanism, each sender has their own encryption key and each receiver has their own public decryption key, allowing parallel, independent verification processes that simplify the overall system architecture.
3Reliability
If data is encrypted with private keys, then data security is improved, but processing and decryption time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex multi-step authentication mechanisms with direct cryptographic decryption using public keys. This substitution eliminates time-consuming manual verification processes or complex protocol handshakes, allowing rapid decryption and authentication while maintaining strong security through asymmetric cryptography.
Data Source
AI summary
One variation of a method includes, at an entity: requesting data from a first database; receiving a first data package from the first database; decrypting the first data package via a first public decryption key associated with the first entity; extracting a second data package from the first data package; discarding the second data package in response to failing to decrypt the second data package via a second public decryption key associated with the second entity; extracting a third data package from the first data package; decrypting the third data package via a third public decryption key associated with the third entity; extracting a set of satellite coordinates, corresponding to a satellite, from the third data package; and updating a virtual representation of positions and velocities of a constellation of orbital satellites according to the set of satellite coordinates and exclusive of data contained in the second data package.