Computer network, network node and method for providing certification information

• US 9,712,328 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Hanka, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiferaw, Eleni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giddins, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US14/307,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20140380042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• 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 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A computer network for data transmission between network nodes, the network nodes being authenticatable to one another by authentication information of a public key infrastructure, with a root certificate authority configured to generate the authentication information for the public key infrastructure. The root certificate authority is arranged separate from the computer network and is not linked to the computer network. A network node of the computer network comprises an authentication information storage, a processor, a network communication device and an initialization device having an initialization communication device and a temporary authentication information storage that can be read out by the processor.

Claims

1. A network node for a computer network for data transmission between network nodes, the network nodes being authenticatable to one another by authentication information of a public key infrastructure, the computer network comprising:

a root certificate authority disposed in a first region with limited physical access disposed within a cockpit of an aircraft, and arranged separate from the computer network without being linked to the computer network, the functions of the root certificate authority are directly accessible to only persons with access authorization for the first region with limited physical access disposed within the cockpit of the aircraft, the root certificate authority comprising;

a signing device configured to generate the authentication information for the public key infrastructure, and a wireless short-distance data transmission device with a communication range that does not extend beyond the first region, the wireless short-distance data transmission device communicating with the network node while the network node is within the communication range that does not extend beyond the cockpit; and

the network node comprising;

an authentication information storage;

a processor;

a network communication device; and

an initialization device including an initialization communication device and a temporary authentication information storage, the processor being configured to read information from the temporary authentication information storage.

2. The network node according to claim 1, wherein

the temporary authentication information storage is writable by the initialization communication device.

3. The network node according to claim 1, wherein

the initialization device is configured to be destroyed by the processor.

4. The network node according to claim 1, further comprising

a revocation list storage.

5. The network node according to claim 1, wherein

the initialization device is configured to receive power from an external source.

6. The network node according to claim 1, wherein

the network node is configured as an access point for a WLAN.

7. The network node according to claim 1, wherein the network node is configured as the access point for the WLAN that is disposed in second region outside of the first region.

8. A method for authenticating a network node of a computer network, the method comprising:

providing a root certificate authority disposed in a first region with limited physical access disposed within a cockpit of an aircraft, and arranged separate from the computer network and without being linked to the computer network, wherein the functions of the root certificate authority are directly accessible to only persons with access authorization for the first region with limited physical access disposed within the cockpit of the aircraft, the root certificate authority comprising a signing device configured to generate authentication information for the public key infrastructure and a wireless short-distance data transmission device with a communication range that does not extend beyond the first region, the authentication information including key information assigned to the network node and signature information, and the network node comprising an authentication information storage, a processor, a network communication device and an initialization device including an initialization communication device and a temporary authentication information storage, the processor of the network node being configured to read information from the temporary authentication information storage;

operating the signing device to generate the signature information from the key information and the root key information assigned to the root certification authority;

operating the wireless short-distance data transmission device to wirelessly transmit the authentication information formed from the key information and the signature information to the initialization communication device of the network node while the network node is in the first region within the communication range that does not extend beyond the cockpit;

storing the authentication information in the temporary authentication information storage;

connecting the network node to the computer network; and

transferring the authentication information from the temporary authentication information storage into the authentication information storage.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising

destroying the initialization device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising

transmitting a revocation information list to the initialization device;

storing the revocation information list in the temporary authentication information storage;

transferring the revocation information list into the authentication information storage; and

transmitting the revocation information list to other network nodes via the computer network.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising

verifying the authenticity of authentication information sent from another network node based on the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage;

and

denying a communication process with the another network node when the verifying is unable to verify the authenticity of the authentication information sent from the another network node.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising

transmitting a revocation information list to the initialization device;

storing the revocation information list in the temporary authentication information storage;

transferring the revocation information list into the authentication information storage; and

transmitting the revocation information list to other network nodes via the computer network.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising

verifying the authenticity of authentication information sent from another network node based on the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage;

and

denying a communication process with the another network node when the verifying is unable to verify the authenticity of the authentication information sent from the another network node.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising

transmitting a revocation information list to the initialization device;

storing the revocation information list in the temporary authentication information storage;

transferring the revocation information list into the authentication information storage; and

transmitting the revocation information list to other network nodes via the computer network.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising

comparing the authentication information with the revocation information list and denying a communication process with another network node upon determining that the authentication information sent from the another network node is contained in the revocation information list.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the computer network is disposed in a second region outside of the first region;

and

the connecting connects the network node to the computer network when the network node is in the second region.