Software Update System Secure Certification via SSL and FTP

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing software update systems over networks face security issues due to the transfer of IDs and passwords in plain text, particularly with FTP, which can lead to fraudulent access and data tampering, especially when using Internet standard technologies like TCP/IP.

Innovation Solution

A software update system that employs a certification information setting unit to generate and transmit first certification information via an SSL communication path, followed by a second certification information request and software update transmission via a less loaded FTP communication path, ensuring secure and efficient updates while minimizing processing workload.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If FTP is used for software update transmission, then the process load is reduced, but security deteriorates due to plain text ID and password transmission

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess loadVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The communication process is divided into two distinct phases: a certification phase using SSL/TCP for secure authentication, and a data transfer phase using FTP for efficient file transmission. This segmentation allows each phase to optimize for its specific requirements without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs SSL certification and authentication before initiating the FTP data transfer. By establishing secure communication channels in advance, the system ensures security is maintained throughout the entire update process while still allowing efficient FTP transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If SSL is used for communication, then security is improved through encoding, but processing workload increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidprocessing workload

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication process is divided into two distinct phases: a certification phase using SSL/TCP for secure authentication, and a data transfer phase using FTP for efficient file transmission. This segmentation allows each phase to optimize for its specific requirements without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs SSL certification and authentication before initiating the FTP data transfer. By establishing secure communication channels in advance, the system ensures security is maintained throughout the entire update process while still allowing efficient FTP transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7555657B2Communication device, software update device, software update system, software update method, and program

Publication Date: 2009.06.30 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A software update device capable of communicating with a target update device via a network, the software update device including: a certification information setting unit for generating a first certification information, and transmitting the first certification information to the target update device via a first communication path; a certification requesting unit for transmitting a second certification information to the target update device, and requesting the target update device to execute a certification process with the first and second certification information; and a transmitting unit for transmitting an update software for updating a software of the target update device to the target update device via a second communication path when the certification process succeeds, the second communication path having a process load less than that of the first communication path.