Signed URL Authentication for Secure Data Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed systems, it is challenging to securely receive data without traditional authentication, as existing methods can be easily thwarted by manual or programmatic manipulation, leading to the submission of falsified or malicious information.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using signed URLs that encode data, where a URL with a signature is submitted instead of raw data, and upon accessing the endpoint, the service is authenticated, with the endpoint validating the signature to ensure data integrity, optionally using optical codes for data transmission and decoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used for data submission, then security can be maintained, but the system complexity and authentication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication mechanism from traditional cookie-based sessions and embeds it directly into the URL structure through cryptographic signatures. The signature is computed over the query parameters and included as a URL parameter, allowing the URL itself to carry authentication information without requiring separate authentication headers or cookies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic signatures as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the data source and the endpoint. The signature acts as a trusted intermediary that proves the authenticity of the data without requiring direct authentication between the data source and the endpoint, enabling secure data submission in distributed systems.
2Ease of operation
If cookies are used for data submission, then authentication is simplified, but the system becomes vulnerable to manipulation and falsified data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-computing cryptographic signatures over the data before transmission. This preemptive measure ensures that any subsequent manipulation of the data will result in signature verification failure, preventing falsified data from being accepted by the endpoint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of authentication from cookie-based session management to signature-based URL validation. By transforming the authentication mechanism from relying on mutable cookies to relying on cryptographic signatures embedded in immutable URLs, the system achieves both ease of operation and data integrity.
3Reliability
If signed URLs with signature validation are implemented, then data integrity and security are improved, but the processing complexity and validation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-computing and embedding the cryptographic signature in the URL before the data reaches the endpoint. This allows the validation process to be a simple verification operation rather than a complex authentication process, significantly reducing validation time while maintaining data integrity.
4Reliability
If optical codes are used to encode signed URLs, then data transmission security is enhanced, but the device complexity and scanning requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical codes as a physical copy or representation of the signed URL. Instead of transmitting the sensitive URL directly over the network, it creates an optical copy that can be scanned and decoded, providing an additional layer of security while maintaining the integrity of the underlying signed URL mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for receiving secured data, comprising: at a mobile device comprising an optical sensor: detecting an optical code by the optical sensor, wherein the optical code is physically associated with an entity that is being monitored. The method further comprises decoding a URL encoded in the optical code, wherein the URL comprises a signature and comprises an indication of a service endpoint for performing validation of the signature. The method further comprises transmitting the URL to a server. At the server: the method further comprises accessing the service endpoint represented by the URL for performing validation of the signature, and in accordance with receiving a positive validation result for the signature, storing data for one or more parameters associated with the entity.