Trust-Based Key Distribution for Edge Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the number of authentication servers in cloud computing systems grows, maintaining security becomes costly and complex, especially with edge computing expanding, where binary trust levels are not applicable and can change dynamically, requiring a solution to manage secret exposure and reduce latency.
Innovation Solution
A key distribution infrastructure using a small number of secured key distribution hosts to provide short-term credentials to authentication end-points based on trust levels, protected with tamper-resistant software, allowing dynamic management of key expiry and type distribution, and employing anomaly detection to adjust trust levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all authentication servers are protected with hardware security modules to maintain high security, then security reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating security protection levels across different authentication servers based on their trust levels. High-trust servers receive long-term credentials with hardware security module protection, while low-trust servers receive only short-term credentials without hardware protection. This resolves the contradiction by providing appropriate security measures locally to each server rather than uniformly protecting all servers with expensive hardware security modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the authentication server population into different trust levels (high-trust and low-trust servers) and applies different security measures to each segment. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high security where needed while reducing complexity and cost for servers that don't require the same level of protection, thereby resolving the contradiction between security reliability and device complexity.
2Productivity
If long-term credentials are distributed to all authentication servers, then authentication capability is improved, but security risk increases due to potential key exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making credential distribution dynamic rather than static. Low-trust servers receive short-term credentials that are automatically revoked after a predetermined time period, while high-trust servers receive long-term credentials. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain authentication capability across all servers while minimizing security risk by limiting the exposure window of credentials on less trusted servers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the credential validity period parameter based on server trust levels. Instead of giving all servers the same long-term credentials, the system changes the time parameter for credential validity - short-term for low-trust servers and long-term for high-trust servers. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining authentication capability while reducing security risk through parameter differentiation.
3Reliability
If all cryptographic operations are performed on secure key distribution hosts, then security is improved, but latency increases due to network dependency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments authentication operations between secure key distribution hosts and edge authentication servers based on trust levels. High-trust edge servers can independently perform cryptographic operations using long-term credentials without network dependency, while low-trust servers use short-term credentials for time-sensitive operations. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing low-latency authentication at the edge for trusted servers while maintaining centralized security control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses short-term credentials as an intermediary mechanism that enables low-trust edge servers to perform authentication operations independently without direct network connection to key distribution hosts. This intermediary approach allows these servers to maintain low latency while the system overall preserves security through the use of hardware-protected long-term credentials on high-trust servers.
4Loss of time
If edge hosts can authenticate clients independently, then latency is reduced, but security control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different levels of independent authentication capability to edge hosts based on their trust levels. High-trust edge hosts are given long-term credentials that enable fully independent authentication operations, while low-trust hosts receive short-term credentials with automatic expiration. This resolves the contradiction by providing independence where needed while maintaining centralized security control through automated credential management and expiration policies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through automated anomaly detection and trust level adjustment. The system monitors edge host behavior and automatically adjusts trust levels and credential distribution accordingly. This feedback loop maintains security control complexity at manageable levels by using automation rather than manual management, allowing edge hosts to operate independently while the system responds dynamically to security conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A key distribution host determines a trust level of a user authentication server, wherein the trust level is based, at least in part, on one or more attributes of the user authentication server and provides one or more authentication keys to the user authentication server only if the trust level of the user authentication server is above a threshold value.