Establishing secure, mutually authenticated communication credentials

• US 9,160,740 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hao, Kay, Jeffrey B., Pearson, Malcolm E., Tribble, Eric D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salehi, Helai
• Application Number:
  US14/017,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140006783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/081 applying self-generating credentials, e.g. instead of receiving credentials from an authority or from another peer, the credentials are generated at the entity itself cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords H04L9/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869

Abstract

Establishing secure, mutually authenticated communication between a trusted network and a perimeter network. Servers on the perimeter network may be securely and automatically configured to communicate with the trusted network. Servers not functioning properly may be stopped from communicating with the other servers. Credential information relating to a perimeter server may be automatically, and regularly, updated without intervention.

Claims

1. A method for automatically updating credential information between a trusted server residing on a trusted network and an edge server residing on a perimeter network outside the trusted network, at least one server in the trusted network administering a distributed directory service, said method comprising:

reading, by the trusted server, current credential information associated with the edge server residing on the perimeter network outside the trusted network, wherein the credential information includes a public key created by the edge server and a password created by the edge server, said public key and said password being associated with the edge server;

determining, by the trusted server, an expiration status of the current credential information associated with the edge server;

storing replacement credential information in an edge configuration object in the distributed directory service when a replacement criteria is met, said replacement credential information including a replacement password created by and associated with the edge server, said replacement password being encrypted;

propagating, by any trusted server in the trusted network, the replacement credential information stored in the edge configuration object from the distributed directory service to the edge server in the perimeter network, wherein said trusted server secures the authenticity of the replacement credential information by digitally signing the credential information with a private key created by and associated with said trusted server;

verifying, at the edge server, that the replacement credential information received from the propagating trusted server has been digitally signed by said propagating trusted server, whereby the replacement credential information is rejected when said verifying fails; and

utilizing, by the trusted server, the replacement credential information when an attempt to utilize the current credential information fails.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising deleting the current credential information when an attempt to utilize the replacement credential information is successful.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said storing replacement credential information comprises digitally signing, by each trusted server, the credential information of the particular trusted server with a private key created by the trusted server, said method further comprising verifying, at the edge server, that each particular trusted server has digitally signed its respective credentials.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said propagating the replacement credential information occurs with any trusted server adapted for communication with the perimeter network.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

disenfranchising a server computing device residing on the trusted network or the perimeter network from communication with other server computing devices on the trusted network or the perimeter network, said distributing directory service comprising credential information corresponding to each of the server computing devices on the trusted network and the perimeter network, said method comprising;

receiving instructions at the one or more domain controller computing devices from an administrator from within the trusted network instructing that one of the server computing devices requires disenfranchisement from communicating with the other server computing devices, wherein said receiving instructions includes receiving an indication that the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement poses a security risk; and

deleting credential information associated with the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement within the distributed directory service on the one or more domain controller computing devices based on the received instructions, wherein said deleting comprises deleting a configuration object associated with the server computing device within the distributed directory service, thereby eliminating the ability of any server computing device on the trusted network or the perimeter network to establish communication with the server with deleted credential information.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the instructions are stored on one or more computer-readable memory devices.

7. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said reading the current credential information comprises reading a password of the edge server;

and

wherein said encrypting the replacement credential information comprises encrypting a replacement password.

8. A method as set forth in claim 4 further comprising:

disenfranchising a server computing device residing on the trusted network or the perimeter network from communication with other server computing devices on the trusted network or the perimeter network, said distributing directory service comprising credential information corresponding to each of the server computing devices on the trusted network and the perimeter network, said method comprising;

receiving instructions at the one or more domain controller computing devices from an administrator from within the trusted network instructing that one of the server computing devices requires disenfranchisement from communicating with the other server computing devices, wherein said receiving instructions includes receiving an indication that the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement poses a security risk; and

deleting credential information associated with the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement within the distributed directory service on the one or more domain controller computing devices based on the received instructions, wherein said deleting comprises deleting a configuration object associated with the server computing device within the distributed directory service, thereby eliminating the ability of any server computing device on the trusted network or the perimeter network to establish communication with the server with deleted credential information.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said encrypting a replacement password comprises encrypting a replacement password including non-ASCII characters.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said encrypting a replacement password comprises encrypting a replacement password including a maximum number of allowable characters.

11. A system for automatically updating credential information between a trusted server residing on a trusted network and an edge server residing on a perimeter network outside the trusted network, at least one server in the trusted network administering a distributed directory service, said system comprising:

a distributed directory service for storing information used to secure communication between the trusted servers of the trusted network and the edge server; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

reading, by the trusted server, current credential information associated with the edge server residing on the perimeter network outside the trusted network, wherein the credential information includes a public key created by the edge server and a password created by the edge server, said public key and said password being associated with the edge server;

determining, by the trusted server, an expiration status of the current credential information associated with the edge server;

storing replacement credential information in an edge configuration object in the distributed directory service when a replacement criteria is met, said replacement credential information including a replacement password created by and associated with the edge server, said replacement password being encrypted;

propagating, by any trusted server in the trusted network, the replacement credential information stored in the edge configuration object from the distributed directory service to the edge server in the perimeter network, wherein said trusted server secures the authenticity of the replacement credential information by digitally signing the credential information with a private key created by and associated with said trusted server;

verifying, at the edge server, that the replacement credential information received from the propagating trusted server has been digitally signed by said propagating trusted server, whereby the replacement credential information is rejected when said verifying fails; and

utilizing, by the trusted server, the replacement credential information when an attempt to utilize the current credential information fails.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11, said one or more processors being further configured to execute computer-executable instructions for deleting the current credential information when an attempt to utilize the replacement credential information is successful.

13. A system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said storing replacement credential information comprises digitally signing, by each trusted server, the credential information of the particular trusted server with a private key created by the trusted server, said system further comprising verifying, at the edge server, that each particular trusted server has digitally signed its respective credentials.

14. A system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said propagating the replacement credential information occurs with any trusted server adapted for communication with the perimeter network.

15. A system as set forth in claim 11, said one or more processors being further configured to execute computer-executable instructions for:

disenfranchising a server computing device residing on the trusted network or the perimeter network from communication with other server computing devices on the trusted network or the perimeter network, said distributing directory service comprising credential information corresponding to each of the server computing devices on the trusted network and the perimeter network, said system comprising;

receiving instructions at the one or more domain controller computing devices from an administrator from within the trusted network instructing that one of the server computing devices requires disenfranchisement from communicating with the other server computing devices, wherein said receiving instructions includes receiving an indication that the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement poses a security risk; and

deleting credential information associated with the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement within the distributed directory service on the one or more domain controller computing devices based on the received instructions, wherein said deleting comprises deleting a configuration object associated with the server computing device within the distributed directory service, thereby eliminating the ability of any server computing device on the trusted network or the perimeter network to establish communication with the server with deleted credential information.

16. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said reading the current credential information comprises reading a password of the edge server;

and

wherein said encrypting the replacement credential information comprises encrypting a replacement password.

17. A system as set forth in claim 14, said one or more processors being further configured to execute computer-executable instructions for:

disenfranchising a server computing device residing on the trusted network or the perimeter network from communication with other server computing devices on the trusted network or the perimeter network, said distributing directory service comprising credential information corresponding to each of the server computing devices on the trusted network and the perimeter network, said system comprising;

receiving instructions at the one or more domain controller computing devices from an administrator from within the trusted network instructing that one of the server computing devices requires disenfranchisement from communicating with the other server computing devices, wherein said receiving instructions includes receiving an indication that the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement poses a security risk; and

deleting credential information associated with the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement within the distributed directory service on the one or more domain controller computing devices based on the received instructions, wherein said deleting comprises deleting a configuration object associated with the server computing device within the distributed directory service, thereby eliminating the ability of any server computing device on the trusted network or the perimeter network to establish communication with the server with deleted credential information.

18. A system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said encrypting a replacement password comprises encrypting a replacement password including non-ASCII characters.

19. A system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said encrypting a replacement password comprises encrypting a replacement password including a maximum number of allowable characters.

20. A method for disenfranchising a server computing device residing on a trusted network or a perimeter network from communication with other server computing devices on the trusted network or the perimeter network, said trusted network administering a distributed directory service on one or more domain controller computing devices, said distributing directory service comprising credential information corresponding to each of the server computing devices on the trusted network and the perimeter network, said method comprising:

receiving instructions at the one or more domain controller computing devices from an administrator from within the trusted network instructing that one of the server computing devices requires disenfranchisement from communicating with the other server computing devices, wherein said receiving instructions includes receiving an indication that the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement poses a security risk; and

deleting credential information associated with the server computing device requiring disenfranchisement within the distributed directory service on the one or more domain controller computing devices based on the received instructions, wherein said deleting comprises deleting a configuration object associated with the server computing device within the distributed directory service, thereby eliminating the ability of any server computing device on the trusted network or the perimeter network to establish communication with the server with deleted credential information.