Zero Sign-On Authentication via Gateway Trust
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of user devices accessing media services through various devices within a home poses security challenges for service providers, as traditional sign-on based authentication processes burden both user devices and service providers, especially when dealing with less secure devices operating on non-proprietary systems with multiple communication mediums.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a zero sign-on authentication process that relies on the level of trust associated with gateways rather than user devices, where access is predicated on the trustworthiness of the gateway, eliminating the need for user devices to provide certificates or input passwords, and shifting authentication processing to gateways, which track and assess the trustworthiness based on MAC addresses, domain names, SNMP communications, and BPI+ certification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sign-on based authentication processes are implemented to address security concerns, then security is improved, but processing burden on user devices and service providers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary device between user devices and media service providers. The gateway performs authentication and certificate management functions, acting as a mediator that reduces the processing burden on both user devices and service providers while maintaining security. The gateway stores and manages certificates locally, eliminating the need for user devices to handle complex authentication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the authentication and certificate management functions from user devices and relocates them to a dedicated gateway device. This separation removes the security processing burden from user devices, allowing them to simply connect through the gateway without needing to store or process certificates directly.
2Reliability
If certificates are assigned to each user device for authentication, then security is improved, but device complexity and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the certificate storage and management function into the gateway device, which serves multiple users and devices. Instead of each user device having its own certificate storage, the gateway consolidates certificate management for all devices in the home, reducing overall system complexity and memory requirements across individual devices.
3Reliability
If manual sign-on with username and password is required, then security is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic authentication where the gateway automatically performs certificate-based authentication with the media service provider without requiring user intervention. The system serves itself by automatically establishing secure connections, eliminating the need for users to manually enter credentials while maintaining strong security through certificate-based authentication.
4Adaptability or versatility
If security applications operate on user devices, then authentication capability is improved, but processing burden on user devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as an intermediary that provides authentication capabilities to user devices without requiring the devices themselves to run complex security applications. The gateway handles all cryptographic operations and certificate management, allowing user devices to remain simple while still benefiting from robust authentication.
Data Source
AI summary
A authenticating system and process for authenticating user devices to a access a media service where access to certain portions of the media service may be limited according to a gateway or other device used by a user device to facilitate interfacing a user with the media service. The authentication may be achieved without directly assessing a trustworthiness of the user devices, and optionally, without requiring a user thereof to complete a sign-on operation.