Split-Server OTP Recovery Mechanism for Token-Centric Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Split-server OTP verification systems face challenges in maintaining operational integrity when one or more verification servers become unavailable due to failures or unavailability, leading to costly replication-based solutions that compromise security.

Innovation Solution

A recovery mechanism for split-server passcode verification systems that allows a token to switch to a new split-state mode by determining server unavailability, applying an authentication mechanism, and sending an authenticated message to the token, enabling single-server passcode verification even if one server is down.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If replication-based server-recovery solutions are employed, then system availability is improved, but operational and maintenance costs increase and security is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoidoperational and maintenance costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-generates and stores recovery passcodes on the authentication token before server failure occurs. These recovery passcodes are created in advance and can be used immediately when a server becomes unavailable, eliminating the need for costly replication infrastructure while ensuring system availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The recovery mechanism extracts the ability to handle server failures from the server infrastructure itself and relocates it to the authentication token. By storing recovery passcodes locally on the token, the system removes the dependency on replicated server states for fault tolerance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If replication-based server-recovery solutions are employed, then system availability is improved, but security is worsened due to wider attack vectors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoidsecurity risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The critical recovery functionality is extracted from the server environment (which is vulnerable to attacks) and placed on the authentication token. This eliminates the security vulnerability of having replicated server states that attackers can target, while maintaining system availability through the token-based recovery mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses disposable, short-lived recovery passcodes that are stored on the token rather than persistent server-state replicas. These recovery credentials are ephemeral and tied to specific authentication contexts, reducing the security risk compared to long-lived replicated server states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If split-server verification protocol is used, then security against server-side leakage is improved, but system operability deteriorates when servers become unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against secret leakageVSAvoidauthentication functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares recovery passcodes in advance and stores them on the authentication token. When a server becomes unavailable, the token can immediately present these pre-prepared recovery passcodes to alternative servers, maintaining authentication functionality without compromising the split-server security architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication token acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the split-server verification protocol and server availability issues. By holding recovery passcodes, the token mediates authentication requests even when the original server is unavailable, preserving both security and operability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9749314B1Recovery mechanism for fault-tolerant split-server passcode verification of one-time authentication tokens

Publication Date: 2017.08.29 RSA SECURITY USA LLC

AI summary

A recovery mechanism is provided for split-server passcode verification systems. An exemplary token-centric recovery scheme comprises at least one token and a plurality of authentication servers, comprises the steps of: determining that a first one of the plurality of authentication servers is unavailable; applying an authentication mechanism to a message requesting the token to change to a new split-state mode; and sending the authenticated message to the token. The authentication mechanism comprises, for example, a relying party signing the message using a next passcode of the new split-state mode. The new split-state mode comprises, for example, a single server passcode verification and wherein the next passcode of the new split-state mode comprises a next passcode of the single server. A client optionally changes to the new split-state mode after successfully verifying the authentication mechanism.