Extended-life asymmetric cryptographic key scheme
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsNarayana Aditya Madineni, Peter T. WALTENBERG, Simon D. McMahon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Extending the useful life of finite lifetime asymmetric cryptographic keys by referencing the number of uses of the keys in conjunction with or instead of the elapsed time since generation of the finite lifetime keys. By integrating asymmetric cryptographic keys into a limited use security scheme, the lifetime of finite lifetime asymmetric cryptographic keys is based on the practical risk of security breach during use rather than an arbitrary duration in which the keys are valid.
Claims18
A computer-implemented method for a limited operation asymmetric cryptographic key scheme, the method comprising:
- configuring a master key pair for use in a cryptographic key system, the master key pair having certificate authority for a pre-defined number of signature operations;
- generating a plurality of random key pairs from the master key pairs;
- and
- establishing a first certificate chain layer for the plurality of random key pairs by creating subordinate certificates for each random key pair in the plurality of random key pairs, each random key pair having the pre-defined number of signature operations of the master key pair.
A computer program product for a limited operation asymmetric cryptographic key scheme, the computer program product comprising:
- a machine readable storage device;
- and
- computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing a processor(s) set to perform operations including the following:
- configuring a master key pair for use in a cryptographic key system, the master key pair having certificate authority for a pre-defined number of signature operations,
- generating a plurality of random key pairs from the master key pairs, and
- establishing a first certificate chain layer for the plurality of random key pairs by creating subordinate certificates for each random key pair in the plurality of random key pairs, each random key pair having the pre-defined number of signature operations of the master key pair.
A computer system for a limited operation asymmetric cryptographic key scheme, the computer system comprising:
- a processor(s) set;
- a machine readable storage device;
- and
- computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform operations including the following:
- configuring a master key pair for use in a cryptographic key system, the master key pair having certificate authority for a pre-defined number of signature operations,
- generating a plurality of random key pairs from the master key pairs, and
- establishing a first certificate chain layer for the plurality of random key pairs by creating subordinate certificates for each random key pair in the plurality of random key pairs, each random key pair having the pre-defined number of signature operations of the master key pair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.