Secret-Sharing Decryption Key Distribution for Secure Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Community printers in shared facilities lack adequate security and privacy, as users may forget documents or others may inadvertently pick them up, leading to potential breaches of sensitive information, and existing encryption systems with usernames and passwords are vulnerable to brute force attacks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secret-sharing scheme to generate multiple shares of a decryption key, where a threshold number of shares must be present at a rendering device for document decryption, eliminating the need for cumbersome username and password entry and enhancing security by requiring multiple devices to be present for access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single decryption key is used for document encryption, then document security is maintained, but the system becomes vulnerable to brute force attacks and single-point failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single decryption key into multiple key shares distributed across different devices. This segmentation ensures that no single device holds the complete decryption capability, making brute force attacks on individual devices ineffective and eliminating single-point failures.
2Ease of operation
If username and password authentication is implemented, then access control is provided, but the authentication process becomes cumbersome and security is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical username/password authentication system with a cryptographic key share system. Instead of relying on human-rememberable credentials that are vulnerable to brute force attacks, the system uses mathematical key shares that provide both enhanced security and simplified user interaction through automatic authentication.
3Reliability
If multiple key shares are distributed to different devices, then security is enhanced against compromise, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a key management server as an intermediary that handles the complex operations of key share generation, distribution, and reconstruction. This centralizes the computational complexity while keeping individual client devices simple, resolving the contradiction between enhanced security through distribution and system complexity.
4Reliability
If all key shares must be present for decryption, then maximum security is achieved, but accessibility and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a threshold decryption scheme where only a specific number of key shares (less than the total number of distributed shares) are required for decryption. This partial action approach maintains security by requiring multiple devices while improving productivity by not requiring all possible key shares to be present, thus reducing access delays.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a computing device is described. The computing device includes an encryption device to encrypt, using an encryption key, a document to be rendered. A generating device generates multiple shares of a decryption key using a secret-sharing scheme. A threshold number of the multiple shares allows decryption of the document. A transmit device transmits different shares of the multiple shares to different devices. The document is rendered when the threshold number of multiple shares are rejoined at a rendering device.