Verifiable Identity Map with Ledger-Based Public-Key Attestation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The vulnerability of public-key cryptography to 'man-in-the-middle' attacks, where an attacker intercepts and alters communications between parties, compromising security and privacy.

Innovation Solution

A verifiable identity map maintained by a ledger database with tamper-resistant capabilities, ensuring data integrity through cryptographic attestation using a digest and Merkle tree structure, allowing only authorized updates to public keys.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If public keys are distributed openly for cryptographic communication, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to man-in-the-middle attacks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of key distributionVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification by generating a digest of the ledger database state before key distribution. This digest is provided to computing devices in advance, enabling them to verify the authenticity of public keys before using them for encryption, thus preventing man-in-the-middle attacks while maintaining ease of key distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a digest as an intermediary verification mechanism between the ledger database and computing devices. This digest acts as a mediator that proves the authenticity of public keys without requiring direct trust in the key distribution channel, resolving the security concern while preserving open distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If ledger database validation is performed for every key lookup or update, then data integrity is improved, but use of energy is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidcompute resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of performing full database validation for every operation, the system uses a partial validation approach by comparing only the digest (a hash representation) of the database state. This partial action provides sufficient integrity verification while consuming significantly fewer compute resources than full validation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12445415B2Verifiable identity map maintaining identities and associated public keys

Publication Date: 2025.10.14 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Embodiments described herein are directed to a verifiable identity map that maintains identities and public keys associated with the identities. The map is maintained by a ledger database that provides tamper-resistant/evident capabilities for tables (comprising the map) thereof. For instance, when a materialized view of the database is generated, the database provides a digest representative of a state thereof to computing devices that access the map for the keys. When the database receives a request from a device to access the map, the digest is received along therewith. The database is validated based on the digest to determine whether the database has been tampered with since the provision of the digest. Responsive to a successful validation, the database provides access in accordance with the request. When a key in the map is updated, the database subsequently generates a new digest, which is provided to the computing device.