Transport Layer Security Certificate Configuration Interface

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users often acquire transport layer security certificates without fully understanding their configuration implications on security, performance, and compatibility, leading to potential unsuitable installations and wasted resources.

Innovation Solution

A user interface system that allows users to configure transport layer security certificates, assess, and project the impact of configuration features on security, performance, and compatibility metrics before generation or installation, providing suggestions for optimal settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users configure transport layer security certificates with advanced security features, then security metric is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity metricVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary assessment system that mediates between user certificate configuration actions and security outcomes. This system automatically evaluates configuration options, calculates security metrics, and guides users through the complexity without requiring them to become security experts, thus improving security while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by providing automated security metric assessment and configuration recommendations that allow users to independently make informed decisions about certificate security settings without requiring external expert intervention, balancing enhanced security with operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If users configure certificates without understanding security implications, then ease of operation is improved, but security metric and reliability worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidsecurity metric

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms that provide users with immediate security metric assessments and impact analyses when they configure certificate parameters. This feedback loop educates users about security implications while guiding them toward secure configurations, thereby maintaining ease of operation while preventing security degradation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If comprehensive security assessment is performed before certificate generation, then security metric is improved, but loss of time and productivity worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity metricVSAvoidloss of time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary security assessments during the certificate configuration phase rather than after deployment. By evaluating security metrics upfront and providing guidance before certificate generation, the system ensures secure configurations are established from the beginning, avoiding time-consuming post-deployment security fixes and reconfigurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If users select optimal certificate configuration features, then security metric and reliability are improved, but device complexity and loss of information worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity metricVSAvoidloss of information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex certificate configuration process into manageable components, each with specific security implications that are assessed and explained separately. This segmentation helps users understand and retain information about different configuration options without being overwhelmed by the overall complexity, reducing information loss while maintaining high security standards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9231769B1Systems and methods for providing interfaces for creating transport layer security certificates

Publication Date: 2016.01.05 DIGICERT INC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for providing interfaces for creating transport layer security certificates may include (1) displaying a user interface for configuring a proposed digital certificate for use in a transport layer security protocol, (2) receiving user input via the user interface that specifies a certificate configuration feature for the proposed digital certificate, (3) assessing a projected impact of the certificate configuration feature on a security metric of the proposed digital certificate, and (4) presenting the projected impact of the certification configuration feature on the security metric via the user interface. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.