Key management in a distributed system
US8724815B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 29, 2011 |
| Grant date | May 13, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 8, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L63/062
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Secure information is managed for each host or machine in an electronic environment using cryptographic keys. In some embodiments, a globally distributed system manage and rotate keys across various nodes within the system based on a predetermined schedule of each key's lifecycle. The predetermined schedule decides when keys are created, distributed, and used with respect to each key's pre-assigned time (e.g., an expiration time, a creation time). The schedule of the key's lifecycle may be predetermined and adjusted based on various system requirements. The keys may be automatically rotated throughout the various nodes in the system in a way such that the keys are not unnecessarily exposed for too long but are accessible to the ciphertext producers and the ciphertext consumers when needed. Further, the keys are created and rotated in a way to ensure robustness of the system in the event of a global WAN outage or network partition.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.