Secure Customer Key Injection for Build-to-Stock Systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017200225-A1
Application number	US-201615144048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	Jan 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for manufacturing cryptographically-enabled network endpoints are described herein. In an example, an endpoint is provisioned with keys, which may include a revocation key, a command key, a recovery key and other cryptographic information. A buyer of the endpoint may send one or more keys to the manufacturer, and request that a handover package be sent by the manufacturer to the buyer. The manufacturer sends the handover package, which may include cryptographic information appropriately signed by the manufacturer. Upon receipt, the handover package is cryptographically processed by the buyer and portions are included in a takeover package sent to the endpoint. The endpoint may replace operational keys within the endpoint and switch its operation from use of manufacturer-produced credentials to use of buyer-produced credentials. Accordingly, the endpoint is provisioned for secure operation by the owner in an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) or Internet of Things environment.

First claim

1 . A method to manufacture an endpoint, comprising:
provisioning the endpoint with keys at a manufacturer; transferring the endpoint from the manufacturer to a site of a buyer; creating a handover package at the manufacturer, wherein the creating comprises:
including a public key of the buyer in the handover package; and
including an identifier of the endpoint in the handover package;
signing the handover package with a private key of the manufacturer corresponding to a public key of the manufacturer within the endpoint; specifying that the public key of the buyer is to be used to verify a takeover request; and sending the handover package from the manufacturer to the buyer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the endpoint comprises a buyer meter.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning of the endpoint with keys comprises:
injecting the endpoint with a manufacturer's public key; and injecting the endpoint with a public/private key pair.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein injecting the endpoint with a public/private key pair comprises:
generating the public/private key pair on the endpoint prior to the injection.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the endpoint to the site of the buyer comprises:
sending the endpoint to the buyer by way of a reseller.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the handover package additionally comprises:
including a revocation public key of the buyer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in the signing of the handover package with the private key of the manufacturer is a revocation private key of the manufacturer corresponding to a revocation public key of the manufacturer from among the keys provisioned in the endpoint.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending of the handover package comprises signing the handover package in a secure key transfer file (SKTF) signed by a transfer key of the manufacturer.

9 . A method to manage cryptographic keys on an endpoint, comprising:
reading an identifier of the endpoint; providing a manufacturer of the endpoint with the serial number; receiving a handover package from the manufacturer; creating a takeover package, wherein the creating comprises:
creating a key bundle with operational keys of a buyer, wherein the key bundle is to replace keys within the endpoint;
encrypting the key bundle with a key found in the handover package; and
signing the encrypted key bundle and the handover package with a revocation private key of the buyer; and
transmitting the takeover package to the endpoint.

10 . The method of claim 9 , additionally comprising:
providing the manufacturer with a public key of the endpoint.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the handover package received from the manufacturer comprises:
a revocation public key of the buyer; the serial number of the endpoint; and a recovery public key of the manufacturer.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein operational keys of the buyer comprise:
a revocation key of the buyer; and a command key of the buyer.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein encrypting the key bundle with the key found in the handover package comprises:
encrypting the key bundle with a public recovery key of the manufacturer.

14 . The method of claim 9 , additionally comprising:
receiving, from the endpoint and responsive to the transmission of the takeover package to the endpoint, a message from the endpoint indicating that manufacturing device credentials previously used by the endpoint have been replaced by buyer device credentials currently used by the endpoint.

15 . An endpoint, comprising:
a processor; and memory, connected to the processor, wherein the memory defines objects comprising:
a handover package, received by the processor, defined in the memory, and verified using a public key of a manufacturer;
a takeover package, defined in the memory, and verified using a public key of a buyer of the endpoint obtained from the handover package;
replacement keys extracted from an encrypted bundle found in the takeover package;
manufacturer-provided keys and credentials initially installed in the endpoint;
buyer-provided device keys and credentials, wherein the buyer-provided device keys and credentials replace the manufacturer-provided keys and credentials and comprise the replacement keys; and
a confirmation message to indicate that the manufacturer-provided keys and credentials are no longer being used by the endpoint and that the buyer-provided keys and credentials are being used.

16 . The endpoint of claim 15 , wherein the handover package comprises:
a public key of the buyer; an identifier of the endpoint; and a public key of the manufacturer.

17 . The endpoint of claim 15 , wherein the public key of the manufacturer used to verify the handover package at the endpoint is a revocation key of the manufacturer.

18 . The endpoint of claim 15 additionally comprising:
a certificate signing request (CSR); and
a certificate, obtained from a certificate authority of the buyer, in response to the CSR.

19 . The endpoint of claim 15 , wherein the buyer-provided device keys and credentials comprise:
command, revocation and recovery keys; and a new public/private key pair.

20 . The endpoint of claim 15 , wherein the endpoint is configured to perform a Diffie Helman key exchange of symmetric keys and a secret, wherein the confirmation message additionally provides information to the buyer regarding the secret.

Assignees

• Itron Inc

Inventors

• Kanungo Rajesh

Classifications

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L9/0825

  using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates · CPC title

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• H04L9/083

  involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] · CPC title

• H04L9/30

  Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy · CPC title