Token Access Protection for External Data in Non-Volatile Memory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for access protection of third-party data on tokens break the security architecture principle of opacity for foreign data to the operating system and privileged applications, necessitating a solution that maintains security while allowing controlled access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a protocol for mutual authentication between the token and a foreign data provider computer, generating a temporary key from a cryptographic sector identifier, encrypting and storing foreign data in the token's non-volatile memory, and verifying the sector identifier's validity for secure access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If metadata is stored within third-party data to describe access restrictions and processed by the operating system or privileged application, then access control for third-party data is enabled, but the security architecture principle of opacity for foreign data to the operating system and privileged applications is violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the access control mechanism into two independent parts: (1) metadata stored within the third-party data structure that describes access restrictions, and (2) a dedicated access control component that processes this metadata without requiring the operating system or privileged applications to have access to or knowledge of the third-party data contents. This segmentation enables access control functionality while preserving the opacity principle, as the operating system only interacts with the access control component through defined interfaces without exposing the actual data or metadata contents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary access control component that acts as a mediator between the third-party data storage and the operating system. This intermediary processes the metadata embedded in third-party data to enforce access restrictions without requiring the operating system or privileged applications to directly access or interpret the metadata. The intermediary translates access control requirements into operations that maintain the opacity principle, allowing the operating system to function without knowledge of the actual data contents while still enforcing security policies.
2Device complexity
If third-party data is made accessible to the operating system or privileged application for access control processing, then access management is simplified, but the security architecture is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the access control component autonomously processes metadata embedded within third-party data structures to enforce access restrictions. The metadata contains all necessary information about access policies, and the access control component independently evaluates and enforces these policies without requiring the operating system or privileged applications to intervene in the actual access control decisions. This self-service approach simplifies access management by providing automated policy enforcement while maintaining security architecture integrity by preventing exposure of third-party data to the operating system.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control component serves as an intermediary that processes access control metadata independently, translating high-level access policies into enforcement actions without requiring the operating system to handle the actual third-party data. This intermediary layer manages the complexity of access control internally, presenting a simplified interface to the operating system while maintaining security boundaries.
3Reliability
If cryptographic keys are stored permanently in the token for accessing third-party data, then access security is strengthened, but memory overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic key generation where cryptographic keys are not stored permanently in the token but are instead generated temporarily during the authentication process. The system uses a cryptographic sector identifier that is processed to generate session-specific cryptographic keys only when needed for accessing third-party data. These dynamic keys exist only in memory during the authentication and data access operations, then are discarded. This dynamic approach maintains strong access security through cryptographic protection while significantly reducing memory overhead compared to storing permanent cryptographic keys.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of cryptographic keys from static (permanently stored) to dynamic (temporarily generated). The system transforms a stationary cryptographic key storage model into a dynamic key generation model where keys are created on-demand from cryptographic sector identifiers and exist only temporarily during authentication operations. This parameter change from permanent storage to temporary generation reduces memory requirements while maintaining or even enhancing security through session-specific keys.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for access protection for external data in the non-volatile memory of a token in relation to an external interface of the token, comprising: carrying out a protocol between the token and an external data host computer for mutual authentication via the external interface; transmitting a cryptographic sector identifier from the one external data host computer to the token via the external interface; generating a temporary key from the transmitted cryptographic sector identifier via the token; transmitting external data from the one external data host computer via the external interface for storage in the non-volatile memory; and encrypting the external data using the temporary key via the token, and storing the encrypted external data in the non-volatile memory.