Secure Element Key Management for Terminal Data Protection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for secure data processing between terminal devices and servers are prone to key leakage, leading to potential security hazards during data transmission and processing, as they rely on symmetric key negotiation which can be compromised.

Innovation Solution

Establishing a secure channel using a trusted execution environment (TEE) and an encryption hardware-based secure element, where a service key and its identifier are sent through the secure channel to store and manage the key securely within the terminal device, and using a service session key to encrypt and decrypt service data, ensuring dual protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If symmetric key negotiation is used for secure data processing between terminal devices and servers, then data transmission can be achieved, but key leakage risk increases leading to security hazards

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidkey leakage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the key management system into multiple independent components: a secure element for storing the service key, a TEE for generating service session keys, and the server for managing encryption keys. This segmentation ensures that no single component holds all keys, reducing key leakage risk while maintaining data security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a secure element as an intermediary component that acts as a trusted third party between the terminal device and server. The secure element stores the service key and manages service session keys, preventing direct key exposure between the terminal and server while enabling secure data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If service key is stored in terminal device for data encryption, then data can be encrypted locally, but the service key may leave the domain increasing security risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal data encryptionVSAvoidkey security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the service key from the terminal device's general storage and places it in a dedicated secure element. The service key never leaves the secure element domain, while the secure element itself can be removed or destroyed if compromised, taking the key with it and preventing key leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by creating a specialized secure environment within the terminal device. The secure element provides localized security with different access controls and protection mechanisms compared to the rest of the terminal device, allowing local data encryption while maintaining key security through hardware-based isolation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If dual encryption layers (service key and service session key) are implemented, then data security is enhanced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidkey management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamics by using two different key types with different lifecycles: a long-lived service key stored securely in the secure element, and short-lived service session keys generated temporarily for each data transmission. This dynamic key management provides enhanced security while the secure element abstracts the complexity of managing multiple keys.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables self-service by allowing the secure element to automatically generate and manage service session keys without requiring external intervention. The secure element handles the complexity of key generation, storage, and usage automatically, providing dual encryption layers while masking the underlying complexity from the user and application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4287553A1Data processing methods, apparatuses, and devices
Publication Date: 2023.12.06 ALIPAY (HANGZHOU) INFORMATION TECH CO LTD
  • EP4287553A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4287553A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4287553A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Some embodiments of this specification provide data processing methods, apparatuses, and devices. The method includes: establishing a secure channel with a terminal device based on the same channel establishment rule as that of a secure element of the terminal device; sending a service key and an identifier of the service key to the terminal device through the secure channel; receiving a key identifier of a target service key, service ciphertext information, and a service session key ciphertext sent by the terminal device; determining the target service key based on the key identifier of the target service key, obtaining a service session key based on the target service key and the service session key ciphertext, and obtaining service data of a target service based on the service session key and the service ciphertext information so as to perform service processing on the target service based on the service data of the target service.