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Unraveling Key Management Protocols: Navigating Security Challenges in a Complex Network Environment

Explore the importance of Key Management Systems, components, and choices for robust network security in a technology-driven world. Learn about protocols, functions, and storage impacting future-proofing.

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Unraveling Key Management Protocols: Navigating Security Challenges in a Complex Network Environment

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  1. November 2010 Key Management Protocols Opening Pandora's Box Value, Cost, and Future Proofing Robert Moskowitz ICSAlabs an Independent Division Of Verizon Business Dallas, TX November 8, 2010 Slide 1

  2. November 2010 Agenda • Why are we here? • The Problem • What is a Key Management System • Why is it important • The role of the Key Management Protocol • Delving into choices • When to do what • With whom • What next?

  3. November 2010 Why are we here? • Why Pandora's box? • We will cover the ills that security has visited upon our precious networks. • And how the cure can be as bad as the disease. • Security is as hard to make sense of by a non-security designer as RF is to make of by a non-RF designer! • And not all security designers agree on how to construct a security system.

  4. November 2010 Why are we here? • As we move into the “Internet Of Things” (or your choice of buzz-term) the problems get harder. • Time to set a tone for security that works across many problems and limit complexity • Complexity for the sake of technology reuse is bad • Not to present a solution, but to focus efforts • I may raise more questions than answers • I have MY answers but they are NOT the only answers

  5. November 2010 • The Problem

  6. November 2010 What is a Key Management System? • It controls the keys used in a security system • A security system is only as good as the weakest part, frequently, the KMS. • Good Keys and Key Management is essential to good security. • A Key Management System is a: • Set of technologies and human procedures that insure that the keys needed for a security system are available and trustworthy up to the risk claims for a system.

  7. November 2010 Components of a Key Management System? • A Key Management System consists of: • Key Management Protocol • Key Derivation Function • Key Storage

  8. November 2010 Components of a Key Management System? • A Key Management System parties are: • Key users (at least two!) • Trust Provider

  9. November 2010 Why so many Key Management Systems? • One for each layer • Network, Internetwork, and Transport • Leave data aside for now. • Based on the assumption that it is the only one available or needed • And each has a different reach • Each layer has a unique risk and liability • What works for one many not for another

  10. November 2010 Why so many Key Management Systems? • One for each technology • “Mine is a unique technology with a unique problem.” • Not necessarily a false concern • Evolutionary development • Later efforts build on earlier experiences

  11. November 2010 Some basic thoughts on Key Management Systems • Claim: Key establishment is a outcome of authentication • But authentication must be secured • There is always a boot-strap process • E.G. Root certificate list is a manually installed ACL • Or Claim: Authentication a step within key establishment to qualify the value of the keys established

  12. November 2010 Some basic thoughts on Key Management Systems • Authentication costs in • Human setup • And/or computation resources • In cryptographic elements • And/or number of datagrams exchanged • This equates to time to authenticate • Choose some sub-optimization • This is controlled via the Key Management Protocol, working in tandem with the trust system.

  13. November 2010 Key Management Protocol • Perhaps the most visible component of a KMS • A set of • Data packets • Here is where the cryptography lurks • State machine(s) • Assumed to be complete • Human procedures • E.G. “If you really care, only initiate this in a Faraday cage!”

  14. November 2010 Key Derivation Function • Often not viewed as a separate component from the KMP • But can impact the complexity and usability of the KMS • The key protocol places a “Master Key” and the KDF creates all the many use keys actually needed by the other security systems. • If done this protects the MK and limits attack opportunity

  15. November 2010 Key Storage • Where do you keep your car keys at night? • Can someone clone your driver's license? • Or your Paypass chip? • Key Storage attacks make for 'good' press • Should keys survive a power cycle? • Is power cycling even meaningful for a device? • Thus features of the Key Storage impact the KMP. • Respect Key Storage boundaries

  16. November 2010 • Delving into Choices

  17. November 2010 Choices There are always choices • Focus on 802 technologies • But cognizant of higher layers • The cost of establishing trust (i.e. authentication) • (e.g. timings, computational resources) • Which is primary, Key Establishment or Authentication? • What comes first, networking or security? • Juggling risks against resources

  18. November 2010 Choices There are always choices • Cryptographic components • Crypto-agility versus simplicity • Future-proofing • Against what future? • And optimizing code size or computation cost

  19. November 2010 Network and Security Setup At Odds • At what point in network establishment (between networking parties) are security systems activated? • Starting with key establishment via a KMP. • Prior to any physical network setup via ACL deployment (e.g. password files) • As the first step in network resource allocation • After networking services functioning, as the first allowed data traffic

  20. November 2010 Network and Security Setup At Odds • Claim: • Earliest is best. • The fewer resources committed prior to security actuation, the fewer the opportunities for attacks. • Accepting delaying the KMS may impede new applications

  21. November 2010 Network and Security Setup At Odds • Corollary: • Leaving KMS to a higher layer data path • Dictates a higher layer model • Exposes networking services

  22. November 2010 Anonymity and Trust At Odds • Two anonymous parties CANNOT secure their communications • One anonymous party CAN converse securely with a known party • The basic SSL model • Assumption on the known parties part that the anonymous party performed some identity validation • The HTTPS click-through syndrome

  23. November 2010 Anonymity • Demanding “mutual authentication” in a KMS excludes anonymity • Mitigated with ephemeral identities • “I don't know who you really are, but I can work with this ephemeral identity and trust you have no cause to share it.”

  24. November 2010 Establishing Trust • With today's technologies it is impossible to establish a secure environment without a trust process. • Access Control Lists (ACLs) • Digital Certificates (X.509) • Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) • Authentication Server (RADIUS)

  25. November 2010 Trust in ACLs • ACLs are as old as password files • And as relevant as trusted Digital Certificate lists in web browsers. • Frequented by self-signed and expired certificates • ACLs are appropriate for networks large and small where a human directed trust initiation exists.

  26. November 2010 When do Digital Certificates Help and when hinder • Digital Certificates and a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) provides strong identities • At what cost? • Good for identifying a network • Inadequate to establish membership in a network • ACL or other authentication still needed! • Some human process for registration • Does a 'client' certificate really improve security?

  27. November 2010 Authentication Servers • Other than using their own authentication protocol, are they anything more than a complex ACL mechanism? • So what? • Does leverage prior efforts. • Provides choices for authentication methods • Is the AS protocol run over a secure channel or provides its own internal security? • Can an AS 'know' there IS a secure channel in place?

  28. November 2010 Building trust in the KMS • There are many choices, few are clear good choices • Unfortunately, beyond simple ACLs, trust systems are outside of 802. • We can't fix them here

  29. November 2010 Where do Key Derivation Functions fit in? • Long history of deriving actual use keys from negotiate keys • Often more than one key needed • E.G. Encrypt and Authenticate • Extend key lifetime • Save on KMP costs • Recent developments to formalize KDFs • Simplify KMS design efforts • Inventing your own requires extensive peer review

  30. November 2010 Cryptography in the KMS • We have learned the need for agility, but • We have no choice for basic symmetric cryptography • Some push Camellia • Many 'modes of operation' to choose from • RSA is dying, can we use ECC • RSA key size recommendations are exceeding cost value over ECC. • IPR issues

  31. November 2010 Cryptography in the KMS • Cryptographic hash choices unclear • Digital Certificates MANDATE cryptographic hashes • KDF can use cryptographic MAC in place of hash • NIST competition DUE complete in 2012 • What until then? • Some efforts to create a KMP without a cryptographic hash

  32. November 2010 • Where to go from here?

  33. November 2010 Key early and infrequently • The Key Management Protocol should be one, if not the first first step in network establishment. • Leverage the Key Derivation Function to minimize the use of the KMP • May need a lightweight 'nonce refresh' mechanism • Design the Key Storage to prolong key life • Keys that survive system reboot • Keys for multiple networks

  34. November 2010 Authentication is subservient to the KMP • Minimize the cost of authentication within the KMP • Where possible follow the SSL model to start a secure channel for an authentication exchange of a 'client'. • Certificate or ACL based • Place risk in the appropriate part of the network • E.G. In a hub-spoke network the hub is at risk if the spoke is not properly authenticated.

  35. November 2010 Define a minimum Cryptographic subset • Not all devices can support all practical cryptographic suite. • Or even a 'typical' single suite. • The Internet Of Things (IoT) has both large and small Things. • This may require some innovative designs. • Future-proofing for quantum computing is still a research project.

  36. November 2010 Evaluating state of 802 • Should each 802 technology's security features be reviewed? • By whom and to what criteria?

  37. November 2010 • Thank You ! • Any Questions ?

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