Supply Chain Item Data Encryption via Discovery Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
In supply chains, there is a challenge in sharing product-related data while maintaining confidentiality, especially in ad hoc chains with dynamically changing suppliers, as sharing information can lead to the proliferation of sensitive information to competitors or outside entities.
Innovation Solution
A method involving item-level data encryption using a unique random number and cryptographic keys, allowing secure sharing and access control within a distributed repository architecture, where only authorized entities can decrypt and access the data, ensuring confidentiality even with a third-party service provider.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If item-level data is shared among supply chain entities, then manufacturing optimizations and cost reductions are achieved, but confidential information may proliferate to competitors or outside entities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data access by encrypting item-level data with unique keys for each supply chain entity. Each entity receives only the data it needs for its specific role in the supply chain, preventing unnecessary information from reaching competitors or outside entities while still enabling manufacturing optimizations through selective data sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different encryption keys and access permissions to different entities based on their specific needs. Each entity gets customized access to item-level data relevant to its function, allowing optimized manufacturing processes for each entity without exposing sensitive information to entities that shouldn't access it.
2Reliability
If traditional encryption methods are used for item-level data, then data confidentiality is maintained, but the number of managed keys increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple encryption keys into a single centralized key management system. Instead of each entity managing its own unique encryption keys, a central authority handles key distribution and management, reducing the overall number of keys that need to be tracked and managed while maintaining strong data confidentiality through encryption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a key management service as an intermediary between data owners and data consumers. This intermediary handles the complex task of key distribution, revocation, and management, allowing entities to access encrypted item-level data without directly managing multiple cryptographic keys, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to sharing data in a supply chain, the data corresponding to an item having a tag associated therewith. Methods include storing item-level data in a computer-readable repository, determining endpoint data, the endpoint data indicating a location of the item-level data, determining a random number from the tag, the random number unique to the item, selecting a first integer and a second integer, generating a first public key based on the first integer and a semi-public key based on the second integer, generating an identifier based on the first public key and the random number, generating a key based on the semi-public key and the random number, encrypting the endpoint data using the key to provide encrypted endpoint data, defining a tuple comprising the identifier and the encrypted endpoint data, and transmitting the tuple over a network for storage in a persistent storage device.