Tokenization Server PAN Security in Cloud Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Primary account numbers (PANs) stored on external third-party servers are vulnerable to malicious access, as they possess payment authority and are not adequately secured in cloud environments not controlled by financial institutions.
Innovation Solution
Associating each PAN with a unique card reference number (CRN) that lacks payment authority, using a tokenization server to convert CRNs to PANs within the internal data center for querying and back to CRNs before exiting, thereby keeping PANs secure within the internal data center.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If PANs are stored on external third-party servers in cloud applications, then cloud applications can access and process account information, but the security of PANs is compromised due to malicious access risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the PAN from the cloud application environment and stores it only in the internal data center. The cloud application works with CRNs instead, which are useless to malicious actors. This extraction eliminates the security risk while preserving cloud application functionality through the token substitution mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CRN as an intermediary between the cloud application and the PAN. The CRN acts as a safe mediator that allows cloud applications to reference account information without exposing the actual PAN. The tokenization server mediates the conversion between CRN and PAN, ensuring PANs never leave the internal data center.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If PANs are converted to CRNs and stored externally, then security is improved, but legacy applications that require PANs cannot function
Solution Approach 1:
The tokenization server acts as an intermediary that translates between CRNs (used by cloud applications for security) and PANs (required by legacy applications). When legacy applications need PANs, the system retrieves them from the internal data center through secure channels. This mediator approach allows both CRN-based and PAN-based systems to coexist without compromising security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the application environment into two parts: cloud applications that use CRNs for secure external access, and legacy applications that use PANs through controlled internal access. This segmentation allows each type of application to operate with its required identifier type while maintaining overall system security through the firewall boundary.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If PANs are kept within the internal data center firewall, then security is maintained, but external cloud applications cannot directly access account information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the account reference system using CRNs that mirror the structure and functionality of PANs but without the security risks. Cloud applications interact with CRNs as if they were PANs, performing queries and updates. The tokenization server maintains the mapping between CRNs and PANs, allowing cloud applications to operate seamlessly with the copied identifier system while PANs remain protected inside the firewall.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described that eliminate storage of primary account numbers (PANs) by third-party cloud applications executed in external networks. An example method includes receiving a query from an external network that includes a card reference number (CRN) and converting the CRN into a primary account number (PAN). The method includes modifying the query to include the PAN in place of the CRN and performing a service call to retrieve a record responsive to the query from a master account database using the PAN. The method includes, when the record includes the PAN, converting the PAN into the CRN via the tokenization server. Additionally, the method includes adding the record with the CRN to a query response and transmitting the query response to the external network.