Security Domain Manager Automates Smart Card Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart card systems require complex manual configuration and management of security information, making it difficult to securely enroll and communicate between components like certificate authorities, directory servers, and key generators.
Innovation Solution
A security domain manager that shares security policies with its members, providing a centralized registry for services and automating the configuration of components, including certificate revocation list distribution and key management, to facilitate secure communication and policy enforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual configuration is used for certificate authority and security components, then security policies can be customized and controlled, but the complexity of configuration and management increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The security components (certificate authority, directory server, key generator) automatically discover each other and configure their communications without manual administrator intervention. The system performs self-configuration by automatically establishing secure channels and exchanging necessary security parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
A security information server acts as an intermediary that automatically manages the configuration data and security parameters for all components. This intermediary centralizes the configuration management, reducing the complexity at individual component levels while maintaining overall security control.
2Reliability
If manual configuration is used for secure communication between security components, then security can be maintained, but the enrollment process becomes complex and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Security components automatically perform their own enrollment and configuration. The certificate authority, directory server, and key generator autonomously discover each other, establish secure communication channels, and exchange necessary credentials without requiring administrator manual configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration actions automatically during system initialization or component addition. Security parameters, communication channels, and credentials are pre-configured through automated discovery and negotiation before actual operational use, simplifying the enrollment process.
3Loss of time
If automated discovery is implemented for security domain topology, then configuration time is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The security information server serves as a central intermediary that maintains knowledge of the security domain topology. Components query this intermediary to discover other components and their configurations, automating the topology discovery process while centralizing the complexity management in a single accessible location.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated discovery mechanism uses feedback loops where components announce their presence and capabilities to the security information server, which then distributes this information to other components. This feedback-based discovery automates topology mapping without requiring complex manual configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide identity management security domains that may be used in an enterprise security system. A security domain provides a centralized registry of services provided by the enterprise security system. For example, certificate authorities and other services, such as key archives, and the like, in the enterprise security system may register information about themselves in the security domain. Authorized users can then discover the location of these services. In some embodiments, the security domain may provide an interface that indicates a topology between services of the enterprise security system. The security domain may also serve as a distribution point for security policies. A security policy may comprise information that indicates, for example, a set of trusted certificate authorities, certificate templates, certificate revocation lists, and the locations of the services in the enterprise security system.