Secure Circuit Public Key Authentication for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users are often required to repeatedly enter authentication credentials for online purchases, which is inconvenient and can compromise security, as existing systems lack efficient methods for secure and convenient authentication using public key encryption.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a secure circuit generates a public key pair for user authentication, allowing the device to register the key pair with a server system, enabling subsequent authentications using a digital signature generated by the private key, with biometric data used to restrict access and ensure security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users repeatedly enter authentication credentials for online purchases, then security can be maintained through credential verification, but user convenience deteriorates due to repeated manual authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by having users enter credentials once to establish a trusted session. During this initial authentication, a public key pair is generated and registered with the server. Subsequent purchases within the session use this pre-established authentication mechanism, eliminating the need for repeated credential entry while maintaining security through the registered public key verification.
Solution Approach 2:
A secure circuit acts as an intermediary between the user's biometric data and the authentication system. The secure circuit generates cryptographic key pairs and manages digital signatures, serving as a trusted mediator that enables automatic authentication based on biometric verification without exposing sensitive credentials or requiring repeated manual authentication.
2Reliability
If public key encryption is implemented for authentication, then authentication security is improved, but system complexity increases due to key management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single secure circuit: biometric verification, public key pair generation, digital signature creation, and key management. By merging these cryptographic and biometric functions into one integrated secure element, the system achieves strong authentication security while minimizing the complexity that would arise from separate implementations of each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure circuit autonomously manages the public key pair lifecycle including generation, storage, and usage for digital signatures. The circuit self-manages cryptographic operations without requiring external key management infrastructure, reducing system complexity while maintaining robust public key authentication security.
3Ease of operation
If biometric data is used to authorize digital signatures, then convenience is improved by eliminating repeated credential entry, but security risks increase if biometric data is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts biometric verification from the authentication flow and uses it solely to authorize the secure circuit to generate digital signatures. The biometric data itself is never transmitted or stored externally; only the authorization result is used. This extraction approach maintains convenience by using biometrics for authorization while reducing security risks by not handling biometric data beyond the secure circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares digital signatures in advance during the initial authentication session and registers them with the server. These pre-prepared signatures serve as a cushion against potential biometric data compromise, as the actual authentication capability is already established and stored on the server without requiring repeated biometric verification or exposure of biometric data.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed relating to authentication using public key encryption. In one embodiment, a computing device includes a secure circuit, a processor, and memory. The secure circuit is configured to generate a public key pair usable to authenticate a user of the computing device. The memory has program instructions stored therein that are executable by the processor to cause the computing device to perform operations including authenticating the user with a server system by sending authentication information supplied by the user. The operations further include, in response to the server system verifying the authentication information, receiving a first token usable to register the public key pair with the server system and sending, to the server system, a request to register the public key pair for authenticating the user. In such an embodiment, the request includes the first token and identifies a public key of the public key pair.