Multiple authorization modules for secure production and verification

A method for verifying an authorization or a product, comprising:

• receiving a verification request at a verification module;
• the verification module extracting one or more of configuration data from the received verification request, one or more security tokens and one or more digital signatures;
• forwarding the extracted configuration data to an authorization module;
• said authorization module determining if the configuration data for a production run is authorized based on the extracted configuration data received by the authorization module;
• wherein the production is not authorized, returning a negative authorization;
• wherein the production run is authorized:
• wherein previously generated security tokens and digital signatures are stored, returning a positive authorization to the verification module and the verification module retrieving, as retrieved security tokens and digital signature, the previously generated security tokens associated with the generated positive authorization based on the extracted configuration data from one or more databases where security tokens and digital signatures are stored;
• wherein previously generated security tokens and digital signatures are not stored, the authorization module generating a set of security tokens and a digitally signature and returning the generated security token and digital signature to a module from which the request was received as a retrieved security tokens and digital signature;
• the verification module comparing the retrieved one or more security tokens and digital signatures to the one or more security tokens and digital signature extracted from the verification request;
• wherein the extracted one or more security tokens and digital signature match the retrieved one or more security tokens and digital signature, returning a positive verification, otherwise returning a negative verification.

A method for authenticating a production of products, comprising:

• electronically storing configuration data for a production run, wherein the configuration data for the production run specifies parameters used in the production of products;
• receiving a request for authorization at an authorization module;
• forwarding the request for authorization to one or more downstream authorization modules;
• at a downstream authorization module, determining if the configuration data for the production run is authorized;
• at the downstream authorization module, if the production run is authorized:
• generating a set of security tokens and associating one or more of the security tokens with the configuration data;
• digitally signing the configuration data by generating a digital signature and associating the digital signature with the configuration data;
• transmitting the digitally signed configuration data and the digital signature and the one or more security tokens to an upstream authorization module where the request for authorization was received from;
• receiving the digitally signed configuration data and the one or more security tokens at a production machine;
• at the production machine, verifying the digitally signed configuration data;
• calculating a set of secure product identifiers based on the digitally signed configuration data and the one or more security tokens;
• producing products in a production run according to the digitally signed configuration data;
• and
• applying the set of secure product identifiers on the products according to the digitally signed configuration data;
• wherein a receiving authorization module determines if a production run is authorized and further configuration data exists that the receiving authorization module was not able to decipher and there are one or more downstream authorization modules to the receiving authorization module, and the receiving authorization module either:
• a. forwards the request for authorization to a downstream authorization module without associating a security token with the authorization prior to forwarding;
• or
• b. digitally signs the configuration data by generating a set of one or more security tokens and associating said one or more security tokens with the configuration data deciphered and authorized by the receiving authorization module and forwarding the request for authorization to one or more downstream connected authorization modules to determine if the run is authorized.