Self-Stabilizing Distributed Systems Using TRNG Key Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-stabilizing distributed computer systems are unable to effectively recover security and privacy properties after cyber-attacks, as they primarily focus on functional recovery, leaving user privacy and data secrecy compromised.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) to generate public and private keys for secure communication among machines, enabling encrypted message exchange and periodic recovery from cyber-attacks, even when all system components are exposed to an adversary, with a heterogeneous implementation of replicated state machines and secret-sharing protocols to maintain secrecy and privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing self-stabilizing distributed computer systems focus on functional recovery, then system functionality is restored after faults, but security and privacy properties remain compromised after cyber-attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its behavior based on detected attack patterns. When cyber-attacks are detected, the system transitions from normal operational mode to security recovery mode, automatically implementing countermeasures such as isolating compromised components and restoring security properties without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-healing by automatically detecting security compromises, identifying affected components, and restoring security and privacy properties through self-contained recovery mechanisms. The system monitors its own state and executes recovery protocols without external assistance
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the system continuously monitors and recovers from cyber-attacks, then security and privacy are maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The security recovery system is divided into modular components: attack detection modules, analysis modules, and recovery execution modules. Each component performs a specific function and can be independently managed, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security monitoring and recovery capabilities
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system recovers from cyber-attacks by regenerating cryptographic keys, then security is restored, but time is lost during the recovery process
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-generates and securely stores multiple cryptographic key pairs before they are needed. When a security compromise is detected, the system immediately switches to pre-generated keys rather than generating new keys during the attack recovery process, significantly reducing recovery time while maintaining security
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing self-stabilization of functionality security and privacy to a distributed computer system with self-stabilizing machines, according to which the system periodically and constantly recovers from cyber-attacks performed by an adversary who gained access to the system during a vulnerability window. Then a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) generates a random number from which generating a pair of public and private keys are generated. The public key of the pair is distributed among neighboring machines, to generate a common symmetric secret key. Each machine to exchanges messages with any other machine using messages that are encrypted and decrypted by their established common symmetric secret key, where all keys are generated using random numbers that were generated by the True Random Number Generator.