Wallet Key Share Transfer for Secure Multi-Node Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryptographic systems face challenges in securely establishing a common secret symmetrical key across unsecure networks, leading to vulnerabilities in private key storage and access, particularly in digital wallets like Bitcoin wallets, where loss or breach can render funds inaccessible.
Innovation Solution
A method involving Shamir's Secret Sharing Scheme is used to split a cryptographic key into shares, stored across different nodes, including a secure backup facility, with a common secret generated independently at each node to enable secure transmission and reconstruction using a threshold scheme.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a symmetric-key is transmitted over an unsecure network to establish a common secret, then the key establishment process becomes practical and automated, but the security is compromised due to potential interception by unauthorized third parties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the symmetric-key into multiple shares using Shamir's Secret Sharing Scheme. Each share is distributed to different nodes, and the key can only be reconstructed when a threshold number of shares are combined. This segmentation prevents unauthorized interception while maintaining practical key establishment across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric cryptography (public-key infrastructure) to enable secure key establishment over unsecure networks. Each node generates key pairs with public and private components, allowing secure communication and common secret derivation without transmitting sensitive symmetric-keys directly over the network.
2Ease of operation
If the private key is stored centrally in a digital wallet system, then access control is simplified, but the security is compromised due to single points of failure and breach vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the private key into multiple shares and distributes them across different nodes in the network. No single node holds the complete key, eliminating single points of failure. The key can be reconstructed only when a threshold number of nodes collaborate, providing both simplified access control and enhanced security against breaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces trusted intermediaries or custodians who hold shares of the private key. These intermediaries enable key reconstruction when needed (e.g., for recovery or authorized access) without any single entity having full control, balancing accessibility with security.
3Reliability
If the private key is distributed across multiple nodes using secret sharing, then security against breaches is improved, but the system complexity increases due to key management and reconstruction protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal key management framework that handles multiple functions: key generation, sharing, distribution, reconstruction, and recovery. This multi-functional system manages the complexity centrally while providing simplified interfaces to users, reducing the perceived complexity despite the sophisticated underlying mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automated key management operations where nodes can independently generate their shares and participate in key reconstruction without requiring manual intervention. The threshold scheme automatically validates and combines shares, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high security.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If physical delivery of symmetric-keys is used to prevent unauthorized access, then security is improved by avoiding network transmission, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to impracticality in remote and automated systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric cryptography to eliminate the need for physical key delivery. Public keys can be freely transmitted over networks, while private keys remain secure. This asymmetry enables automated, remote key establishment while maintaining security levels comparable to physical delivery methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of physical key delivery with electronic key establishment protocols. Instead of physically transporting symmetric-keys, the system uses cryptographic algorithms to derive shared secrets over networks, substituting mechanical delivery with computational processes that are both secure and practical for remote systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A solution for controlling access to a resource such as a digital wallet implemented using a blockchain. Use of the invention during set-up of the wallet can enable subsequent operations to be handled in a secure manner over an insecure channel. An example method comprises splitting a verification element into multiple shares; determining a common secret at multiple nodes in a network; and using the common secret to transmit a share of the verification element between nodes. The shares can be split such that no share is sufficient to determine the verification element and can be stored at separate locations. Upon share unavailability, the share can be retrieved a location accessibility. For safe transmission of the share(s), the common secret is generated at two different nodes independently and used to generate an encryption key for encrypting at least one share of the verification element to be transmitted securely.