Wireless Security System Using Broadcast Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home and business security systems are complex, inflexible, and vulnerable to central control point failures, and they lack integration with multiple security technologies, with public key encryption being computationally expensive and difficult to manage in devices without two-way communication.
Innovation Solution
A wireless security system employing broadcast encryption with IBM's xCP technology, allowing devices to communicate securely without continuous connection and enabling flexible device addition and removal, using a key management block to bind content to entities and update encryption keys as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If public key encryption is used for secure communication, then security is improved, but computational cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption system is segmented into two distinct key pairs: a first public/private key pair for initial authentication and key exchange, and a second public/private key pair for ongoing content encryption. This segmentation allows the computationally intensive public key operations to be performed only during initial setup, while subsequent communications use simpler symmetric encryption derived from the first key pair, thereby reducing ongoing computational complexity while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If public key encryption is used, then secure key exchange is possible, but two-way communication is required which is not available in security devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary public key exchange and authentication actions during an initial setup phase when two-way communication is available. The first public key is distributed to all devices in advance, and the first private key is used to authenticate devices and establish symmetric keys before actual security communications begin. This preliminary action eliminates the need for real-time two-way communication during subsequent encrypted operations.
3Ease of operation
If a centralized control system is used, then system management is simplified, but the system becomes vulnerable to single point of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized control functionality is segmented and distributed across multiple devices. Each device possesses the first public key and can independently verify other devices using the first private key. The system is divided into independent devices that can each encrypt and decrypt content using their own second key pairs, eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining manageable authentication through the distributed first key pair.
4Reliability
If traditional encryption systems are used, then security is provided, but flexibility for device addition and removal is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic device management where devices can be added or removed without requiring system-wide reconfiguration. When a device joins, it receives the first public key and can be authenticated using the first private key. When a device leaves, its second private key is simply discarded. The symmetric keys are dynamically generated per device using the first private key, allowing flexible addition and removal while maintaining security through the static first key pair and dynamic second key pairs.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for providing a home or business security system that relies upon data encryption for both communication and the storage of content. The disclosed technology incorporates all the devices necessary for a comprehensive security system, including, but not limited to, controllers, monitors, alarms and communication media. The system may include an unlimited number of devices and, further, individual devices may be added and removed as needed. Users may define and change the boundaries of a security system or, in other words, decide what devices to include or not include in such a system. A defined boundary does not need to be confined to a single location. In one embodiment, the claimed subject matter incorporates xCP based broadcast encryption technology.