Trusted Third-Party Public Key Distribution Without Certificate Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
The cumbersome process of obtaining a trusted public key through certificate signing by a registration authority adds overhead when parties need to frequently update or use multiple keys, especially in asymmetric cryptography.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that uses a trusted third party to authenticate and establish secure connections between parties, allowing direct exchange of public keys without certificate authority involvement, enabling shared secrets and key validation through mutual authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If public keys are signed by a registration authority through certificate chains, then the authenticity and trustworthiness of public keys is improved, but the process complexity and overhead are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trusted third party as an intermediary that facilitates direct public key exchange between communicating parties. This third party authenticates both parties and enables secure key distribution without requiring certificate chains or registration authority involvement, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining trust
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the certificate authority and certificate chain verification mechanisms from the public key distribution process. By using a trusted third party that directly facilitates key exchange, the system removes the cumbersome certificate registration and verification overhead while preserving the essential trust function
2Adaptability or versatility
If parties frequently update or use multiple public keys, then the flexibility and security are improved, but the registration overhead is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables parties to autonomously manage their own public keys through direct exchange with trusted third parties. Parties can freely update or use multiple public keys without requiring registration authority intervention, as the trusted third party facilitates direct key distribution and validation, eliminating registration overhead and enabling flexible key management
3Reliability
If certificate chains are used for public key verification, then the trust establishment is improved, but the verification overhead and system overhead are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The trusted third party acts as a mediator that establishes trust directly between communicating parties without requiring certificate chains. The third party authenticates both parties and enables efficient direct public key exchange, eliminating the verification overhead associated with certificate chain validation while maintaining reliable trust establishment
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of obtaining a public key of a second party by a first party comprises authenticating (101) a third party at a system of the first party, establishing (103) a secure connection between the system of the first party and a system of the third party after authenticating the third party, transmitting (105) a request to receive the public key of the second party from the system of the first party to the system of the third party over the secure connection, and receiving (107), at the system of the first party, the public key of the second party from the system of the third party over the secure connection. The request comprises an identifier of the second party and the public key of the second party is associated with the identifier of the second party.