Supply Chain Security Verification Using Hierarchical Data Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing supply chain systems face challenges in achieving transparency while maintaining privacy among independent entities, making it difficult to enhance security and ensure trustworthiness along the supply chain.

Innovation Solution

A method that consults security information datasets containing security provision data of suppliers and their suppliers, validating and matching security demand and provision data to ensure compliance, with the option to replace non-conformant suppliers and stop production if requirements are not met, using cryptographic signatures and trustworthiness profiles to maintain privacy and security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If transparency along the supply chain is increased to enhance security, then security and trustworthiness are improved, but privacy of independent entities deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidprivacy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments security verification into hierarchical levels: entity-level security properties, component-level security properties, and supply chain-level security properties. This segmentation allows transparency at necessary levels while preserving privacy at other levels, resolving the contradiction between security transparency and entity privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces security property data and trust indicators as intermediary elements that mediate between entities. Instead of direct exposure of sensitive entity information, these intermediaries carry security verification information, enabling transparency without compromising privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If security verification of all suppliers and sub-suppliers is performed, then trustworthiness is improved, but complexity of the verification system deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovetrustworthinessVSAvoidverification system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary security verification at each supplier level before products enter the main supply chain. Security properties are verified and documented in advance, so that downstream entities receive pre-validated security information, reducing the complexity of end-to-end verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where security verification results flow back through the supply chain. Trust indicators and security property data are communicated upstream and downstream, enabling automated verification decisions and reducing manual intervention complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20230401517A1Enhancing Security for the Assurance of Trustworthiness of a Product Using a Supply Chain of Suppliers for Modifying, Enhancing or Producing The Product

Publication Date: 2023.12.14 SIEMENS AG

AI summary

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for enhancing security of a product using a supply chain of suppliers for manufacturing or producing the product. The method may include: consulting a security information dataset including a first security provision datum of a supplier and a second security provision datum of a supplier's supplier; and matching or comparing the first security demand datum and the second security provision datum with the security demand datum. The security information dataset includes a security demand datum of a supplied entity supplied by the supplier. The security provision datum of the supplier's supplier is validated by the supplier.