Segmented Content Delivery with Device-Specific Encryption Keys
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in securely delivering content items to multiple devices while preventing unauthorized access, as modern devices and internet communications make it difficult for content providers to limit the collaboration of those seeking to circumvent protection rights.
Innovation Solution
A segmented content delivery system using a segment encryption server that encrypts content items with different keys for each device, ensuring that possession of one decryption key does not allow access to content items encrypted with another key, and associating unique sets of keys with specific devices to increase security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If content items are delivered to multiple devices using the same decryption key, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened as unauthorized access becomes easier
Solution Approach 1:
The content item is divided into multiple segments, each encrypted with a different decryption key. Each device receives only the segments it is authorized to access with its specific decryption key, preventing unauthorized access while enabling efficient content delivery to multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Each device is assigned a unique decryption key tailored to its specific authorization level and identity. The encryption scheme applies different security properties to different devices, allowing easy operation for authorized devices while maintaining strong security against unauthorized access.
2Device complexity
If a single decryption key is used for all devices, then device complexity is reduced, but security is worsened as key compromise affects all devices
Solution Approach 1:
The single decryption key is segmented into multiple device-specific decryption keys. Each key manages only a portion of the content segments, so if one key is compromised, only the segments accessible by that key are affected, not the entire content item across all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The decryption key parameter is changed from a single universal key to multiple device-specific keys. This transformation increases key management complexity slightly but dramatically improves security by isolating the impact of key compromise to individual devices or device groups.
3Reliability
If content is encrypted with device-specific keys, then security is improved, but device complexity increases due to key management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The content is segmented and each segment is encrypted with a specific decryption key. The server manages the complexity of key distribution and segment assignment, while client devices only need to handle their own decryption key and the segments they are authorized to access, balancing security with manageable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that manages the complex key distribution and segment allocation. It translates the complexity of device-specific encryption into simple operations for client devices, which only need to decrypt segments they receive using their assigned key, thereby improving security without excessively increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for delivering a segmented content item from a server to a first and second device are provided. A first key is used to encrypt the segmented content item into a first plurality of encrypted segments and a second key is used to encrypt the segmented content item into a second plurality of encrypted segments. The first and second keys are different. The first plurality of encrypted segments is delivered to the first device, and the second plurality of encrypted segments is delivered to the second device.