Secure Boot Script Initialization via Key Index Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for initializing a computerized system lack sufficient security measures, particularly during the booting process, making them vulnerable to attacks and compromising critical components.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a boot-script with an associated private security key, stored in a secure storage device, which can only be executed if a public key forms a unique key pair and has a predetermined relationship with a current key index, ensuring secure initialization by preventing unauthorized access and modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional booting methods are used, then the system can initialize, but the security of the booting process is insufficient and vulnerable to attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the key management into multiple components: a first secure storage device storing multiple public keys with indexes, a second secure storage device storing current key index, and a boot-script execution unit that validates key relationships. This segmentation allows secure boot initialization without requiring a single complex security module.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary validation mechanism where the boot-script execution unit acts as a mediator between the stored public keys and the boot initialization process. It verifies the relationship between public keys and private security keys, and checks the predetermined relationship between key indexes, thereby securing the boot process without direct access to sensitive keys.
2Reliability
If multiple public keys are stored for security validation, then the security is improved, but the storage requirements and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing multiple public keys with their corresponding indexes in the first secure storage device before the boot process begins. The current key index is also pre-stored in the second secure storage device. This preliminary preparation enables rapid validation during boot without requiring real-time key generation or extensive processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by storing public keys with associated indexes rather than storing only raw key data. The key index serves as a compact reference that enables efficient identification and validation of the correct public key without storing additional metadata or requiring complex key management structures.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If strict key validation is implemented, then unauthorized access is prevented, but the booting process becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex cryptographic verification mechanisms with a simpler index-based validation system. Instead of performing full cryptographic operations to verify key relationships, the system uses the predetermined relationship between key indexes (stored in the second secure storage device) to quickly validate whether a public key is authorized, thereby maintaining security while improving booting speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for initializing a computerized system by executing a boot-script having an associated private security key, wherein the computerized system comprises a first secure storage device for storing a plurality of public keys each having a public key index assigned thereto and a second secure storage device for storing a current key index, wherein the boot-script is only executed if a public key selected from the plurality of public keys is uniquely related to the private security key such as to form a unique key pair with the private security key and has a booting key index having a predetermined relationship with the current key index.