Signature Tree Attestation for Quantum-Safe Low-Resource Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Devices with limited processing capacity and resources face challenges in implementing complex cryptographic schemes to defend against quantum computer attacks while ensuring the authenticity of data, particularly in attestation processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the initialization of multiple signature trees with limited height parameters, where each tree generates a finite number of signatures, and switching to a new tree upon exhaustion or interruption, ensuring continuous attestation capability and protection against side-channel attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex cryptographic schemes are implemented to defend against quantum computer attacks, then security against quantum attacks is improved, but processing capacity and resource consumption are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cryptographic system into multiple signature trees, where each tree handles a specific portion of the attestation workload. This segmentation allows the device to manage complex cryptographic operations in smaller, more manageable units, reducing the processing burden on resource-constrained devices while maintaining security against quantum attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-generating multiple signature trees and storing them securely before they are needed for attestation. This allows the device to have cryptographic credentials ready in advance, eliminating the need for complex real-time key generation during attestation operations, thus reducing processing requirements while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If multiple signature trees are generated and stored, then continuous attestation capability is improved, but storage and memory resources are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically manages signature trees by generating new trees only when needed and removing or archiving trees that are no longer required for attestation. This dynamic approach allows the device to maintain continuous attestation capability while optimizing storage usage, as the number of active signature trees is adjusted based on actual operational needs rather than maintaining a fixed large set.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a mechanism where signature trees are discarded after they have been used for attestation purposes and can be recovered or regenerated when needed. This allows the system to maintain continuous attestation capability through a rotating set of signature trees, where used trees are discarded to free storage space and new trees are recovered or generated as needed, optimizing the balance between continuous capability and storage constraints.
3Productivity
If signature trees are used to generate signatures, then attestation efficiency is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation by pre-generating signature trees with all necessary cryptographic parameters before they are needed for actual attestation operations. This preliminary action shifts the computational load to an offline or low-priority time, allowing the device to perform efficient signature generation during attestation without the burden of real-time complex computations, thus improving attestation efficiency while managing computational load.
Data Source
AI summary
An attestation of data on a device can be provided in which a signature generation structure is initialised for generation of signatures by generating a first and second signature tree, generating a first signature tree public key, signing the first signature tree public key with a signature generated using a private key, generating a second signature tree public key, and signing the second signature tree public key with a private key. A request for attestation is received, the data to be attested to is obtained, and the signature generation structure is used to generate a signature based on the first or second signature tree. The first signature tree is selected to generate the signature prior to an interruption event and the second signature tree is selected to generate the signature responsive to the detection of an interruption event. The attestation is generated by signing the data with the selected signature.