Split Knowledge Protocol for Multi-Admin Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In security appliances, a single administrator having authority to perform all administrative operations poses a risk of security breaches, as they can be compromised, leading to potential security failures.
Innovation Solution
A split knowledge protocol is initiated, where an administrator identifies a predetermined number of entities to authorize operations, generating a bit sequence that is split into segments encrypted with each entity's recovery key, requiring a quorum of recovery officers to decrypt and match the original sequence for authorization before performing sensitive operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single administrator has authority to perform all administrative operations, then ease of operation is improved, but security reliability deteriorates due to single-point compromise risk
Solution Approach 1:
The administrator's authority is segmented into multiple independent authorization entities (first administrator and second administrator). Each entity holds a portion of the authorization key, and both must collaborate to perform sensitive operations. This segmentation eliminates the single-point compromise risk while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A split knowledge protocol acts as an intermediary mechanism between administrators and the security appliance. The protocol orchestrates the multi-step authorization process where administrators provide credentials that are verified and combined through the protocol before granting access, ensuring that no single administrator can bypass security controls.
2Reliability
If multiple administrators are required to authorize operations, then security reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multi-layer authorization protocol
Solution Approach 1:
The split knowledge protocol serves multiple functions: it manages key segmentation, coordinates administrator authentication, verifies authorization credentials, and controls operation execution. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be separate complex systems into a unified protocol, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The security appliance autonomously manages the split knowledge protocol execution, including automatic key segmentation, credential verification, and authorization decision-making. The system self-regulates the multi-administrator workflow without requiring external coordination infrastructure, reducing the complexity burden on the overall system.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If authorization credentials are verified through multiple entities, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but productivity decreases due to additional authentication steps
Solution Approach 1:
Authorization credentials are pre-configured and registered in the security appliance before actual operations are performed. The split knowledge protocol pre-establishes the trust relationships and key segments, so that during actual operations, administrators only need to provide their credentials rather than undergo complex real-time verification, reducing the time penalty for security checks.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for authorizing administrative operations in a computer is provided. The computer initiates the split knowledge protocol upon an attempt by an administrator to invoke the operations. The administrator identifies a predetermined number of entities designated to authorize the operation. The computer creates a bit sequence and splits the bit sequence into a number of segments equal to the predetermined number of entities. Each entity thereafter decrypts a respective element to essentially authorize invocation of the operations. In response, the computer processes the decrypted segments to re-create the bit sequence. As an added level of security, the computer coma) pares the re-created bit sequence with the originally created sequence and, if they match, performs the operations.