System and method for authentication seed distribution

• US 20060256961A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RSA Security Incorporated (Symphony Technology Group LLC)
• Inventors: Kaliski, Burton S. Jr., Rivest, Ronald L., Brainard, John G., Nystrom, Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

In one embodiment of a user authentication system and method according to the invention, a device shares a secret, referred to as a master seed, with a server. The device and the server both derive one or more secrets, referred to as verifier seeds, from the master seed, using a key derivation function. The server shares a verifier seed with one or more verifiers. The device, or an entity using the device, can authenticate with one of the verifiers using the appropriate verifier seed. In this way, the device and the verifier can share a secret, the verifier seed for that verifier, without that verifier knowing the master seed, or any other verifier seeds. Thus, the device need only store the one master seed, have access to the information necessary to correctly derive the appropriate seed, and have seed derivation capability. A verifier cannot compromise the master seed, because the verifier does not have access to the master seed.

Claims

1. A method for distributing seed information associated with a device, comprising the steps of:

generating a master seed associated with the device;

deriving a derived seed using the master seed and information associated with a security sysem; and

transmitting the derived seed to the security system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after generating transmitting the master seed to the device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after generating sharing the master seed with the device and a server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after transmitting:

deriving a second derived seed using the master seed and information associated with a second security system; and

transmitting the second derived seed to the second security system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after transmitting generating an authentication code in response to the derived seed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein authentication code generating further comprises generating an authentication code in response to the derived seed and a time dependent value.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising authenticating using the authentication code.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein authenticating comprises authenticating a user or a device by verifying the authentication code.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein authenticating further comprises transmitting the authentication code to the security system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein master seed generating comprises at least one of randomly generating and pseudorandomly generating the master seed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein deriving further comprises deriving the derived seed in response to a time identifier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving comprises deriving the derived seed by using the master seed and information associated with a verifier as inputs to a key derivation function.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the key derivation function comprises a hash function.

14-29. -29. (canceled)