Event-driven, asset-centric key management in a smart grid

• US 9,584,314 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nix, Michael Delaine, Bajekal, Sadanand Rajaram, Arun, Jai Singh, Yellepeddy, Krishna Kishore
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/972,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150055780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 380/277
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A security management system comprises a key management sub-system, an asset/workload management sub-system, and an event management sub-system. The event management sub-system detects events. The asset/workload management sub-system correlates events (irrespective of type) with the assets that generate them, and the key management sub-system uses the event-asset associations determined by the asset/workload management sub-system to automatically orchestrate the necessary key management activities (e.g., key creation, revocation, refresh, etc.) across the impacted components in the information technology and operational realms to ensure data security. In one use case, a security event detected by the event management sub-system triggers one or more actions within the asset/workload management sub-system. Service configuration records are identified from this scan, and assets defined in those records are identified. An event-asset association is then supplied to the key management sub-system, which uses this information to determine a key management operation.

Claims

1. A method of key management in a delivery network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node supporting an entity, comprising:

responsive to occurrence of an event, generating a set of event-asset associations by identifying one or more configuration records, and identifying one or more assets defined in the identified configuration records that may have generated the event, wherein the one or more assets are identified by examining a configuration of assets in an asset database associated with the delivery network to identify each event-asset association;

using the set of event-asset associations so generated, cross-referencing a first event-asset association that is associated with a first application software system, with a second event-asset association that is associated with a second application software system, the second application software system being distinct from the first application software system, to thereby generate cross-referenced event-asset associations for the first and second application software systems;

based at least on the cross-referenced event-asset associations, deriving a key handle;

using the key handle to initiate a key management operation; and

performing the key management operation for each of the first and second application software systems as a response to the event;

wherein the delivery network is a smart grid, and the nodes are one of;

a meter device, and a business application.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the first and second application software systems are managed by distinct business entities.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the key management operation is one of:

generation, establishment, retrieval, revocation and refresh.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the event is one of:

an event triggered upon compromise of an entity, an event triggered upon establishment of a service connection from an entity, and a timed event associated with a task associated with an entity.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the key management operation uses a symmetric key and is initiated using a Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP).

6. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions that when executed by the processor perform a method of key management in a delivery network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node supporting an entity, the method comprising;

responsive to occurrence of an event, generating a set of event-asset associations by identifying one or more configuration records, and identifying one or more assets defined in the identified configuration records that may have generated the event, wherein the one or more assets are identified by examining a configuration of assets in an asset database associated with the delivery network to identify each event-asset association;

using the set of event-asset associations so generated, cross-referencing a first event-asset association that is associated with a first application software system, with a second event-asset association that is associated with a second application software system, the second application software system being distinct from the first application software system, to thereby generate cross-referenced event-asset associations for the first and second application software systems;

based at least on the cross-referenced event-asset associations, deriving a key handle;

using the key handle to initiate a key management operation; and

performing the key management operation for each of the first and second application software systems as a response to the event;

wherein the delivery network is a smart grid, and the nodes are one of;

a meter device, and a business application.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein the first and second application software systems are managed by distinct business entities.

8. The apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein the key management operation is one of:

generation, establishment, retrieval, revocation and refresh.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein the event is one of:

an event triggered upon compromise of an entity, an event triggered upon establishment of a service connection from an entity, and a timed event associated with a task associated with an entity.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein the key management operation uses a symmetric key and is initiated using a Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP).

11. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, the computer program product holding computer program instructions which, when executed by the data processing system, perform a method of key management in a delivery network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node supporting an entity, the method comprising:

responsive to occurrence of an event, generating a set of event-asset associations by identifying one or more configuration records, and identifying one or more assets defined in the identified configuration records that may have generated the event, wherein the one or more assets are identified by examining a configuration of assets in an asset database associated with the delivery network to identify each event-asset associations;

using the set of event-asset associations so generated, cross-referencing a first event-asset association that is associated with a first application software system, with a second event-asset association that is associated with a second application software system, the second application software system being distinct from the first application software system, to thereby generate cross-referenced event-asset associations for the first and second application software systems;

based at least on the cross-referenced event-asset associations, deriving a key handle;

using the key handle to initiate a key management operation; and

performing the key management operation for each of the first and second application software systems as a response to the event;

wherein the delivery network is a smart grid, and the nodes are one of;

a meter device, and a business application.

12. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein the first and second application software systems are managed by distinct business entities.

13. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein the key management operation is one of:

generation, establishment, retrieval, revocation and refresh.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein the event is one of:

an event triggered upon compromise of an entity, an event triggered upon establishment of a service connection from an entity, and a timed event associated with a task associated with an entity.