Digital heritage notary
In an example, a DHN (DHN) is provided for enabling grantees to access digitally-controlled assets of a principal. The principal (level 0 ) establishes a digital testament (DT), identifying one or more grantees on levels 1 -n. Each grantee receives a digital heritage certificate (DHC), which may be based on the PKI certificate definition. The DHC includes a “PREDECESSORS” field, identifying one or more predecessor certificates that must be revoked before the DHC is valid. All grantee DHCs have the principal's level 0 , DHC as a predecessor certificate. Level n certificates may also be valid only if all certificates at level n− 1 , have been revoked. In practice, a DHC may be revoked when a user of the certificate passes away, so that nth generation grantees inherit only when generation n− 1 , has passed away.
1. A computing apparatus comprising:
a hardware computing platform comprising at least a processor and memory configured to provide a hierarchical digital heritage notary (DHN) engine operable for:
receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a human principal, the human principal being a level 0 (L 0 ) user;
assigning the principal an L 0 principal digital heritage certificate (DHC) (L 0 certificate), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;
receiving a request to establish a plurality of grantees of the DT, the plurality of grantees comprising at least a level 1 (L 1 ) grantee and one or more level 2 (L 2 ) grantees; and
assigning the L 1 grantee an L 1 DHC (L 1 certificate) with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate to the L 1 grantee's certificate, wherein death of the principal and revocation of the L 0 certificate are conditions precedent for validity of the L 1 certificate; and
assigning the one or more L 2 grantees L 2 DHCs (L 2 certificates), wherein death of the L 1 grantee is a condition precedent for validity of the L 2 certificates.
2. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:
receiving a revocation request for a DHC; and
causing a certificate revocation list (CRL) to be published indicating that the DHC has been revoked.
3. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:
receiving an authentication attempt from a grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC having at least one predecessor certificate; and
confirming authentication only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.
4. The computing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the authentication attempt comprises a single-sign-on service request.
5. The computing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the authentication attempt comprises an authentication service assertion.
6. The computing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the authentication service assertion is an authentication statement.
7. The computing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the authentication service assertion requires all predecessor certificates to be revoked.
8. The computing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the authentication attempt comprises an extensible access control markup language (XACML) access control rule.
9. The computing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the XACML access control rule comprises a condition that any predecessor certificates be revoked.
10. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:
receiving a validation request from a network service, the validation request including a DHC; and
confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.
11. The computing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked comprises:
providing a validate certificate query to a certificate authority;
querying a certificate revocation list to determine if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked;
and confirming the validation request only if the certificate authority returns a certificate valid response and only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC appear on the certificate revocation list.
12. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one DHC is a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate.
13. One or more computer-readable mediums having stored thereon executable instructions for providing a hierarchical digital heritage notary (DHN) engine operable for:
receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a human principal, the human principal being a level 0 (L 0 ) user;
assigning the principal a n L 0 principal digital heritage certificate (DHC) (L 0 certificate), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;
receiving a request to establish a plurality of grantees of the DT, the plurality of grantees comprising at least a level 1 (L 1 ) grantee and one or more level 2 (L 2 ) grantees; and
assigning the L 1 grantee an L 1 DHC (L 1 certificate) with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate to the L 1 grantee's certificate, wherein death of the principal and revocation of the L 0 certificate are conditions precedent for validity of the L 1 certificate; and
assigning the one or more L 2 grantees L 2 DHCs (L 2 certificates), wherein death of the L 1 grantee is a condition precedent for validity of the L 2 certificates.
14. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13 , wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:
receiving a revocation request for a DHC; and
causing a certificate revocation list (CRL) to be published indicating that the DHC has been revoked.
15. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13 , wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:
receiving an authentication attempt from a grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC having at least one predecessor certificate; and
providing authentication only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.
16. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 15 , wherein the authentication attempt comprises a single-sign-on service request.
17. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 15 , wherein the authentication attempt comprises a security assertion markup language (SAML) assertion.
18. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 17 , wherein the SAML assertion is an authentication statement.
19. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13 , wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:
receiving a validation request from a network service, the validation request including a DHC; and
confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.
20. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 19 , wherein confirming the validation request only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked comprises:
providing a validate certificate query to a certificate authority;
querying a certificate revocation list to determine if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked;
and confirming the validation request only if the certificate authority returns a certificate valid response and only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC appear on the certificate revocation list.
21. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13 , wherein at least one DHC is a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate.
22. A method of providing a DHN comprising:
receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a human principal, the human principal being a level 0 (L 0 ) user;
assigning the principal an L 0 principal digital heritage certificate (DHC) (L 0 certificate), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;
receiving a request to establish a plurality of grantees of the DT, the plurality of grantees comprising at least a level 1 (L 1 ) grantee and one or more level 2 (L 2 ) grantees; and
assigning the L 1 grantee an L 1 DHC (L 1 certificate) with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate to the L 1 grantee's certificate;
receiving a request to establish a level 2 grantee of the principal; and
assigning the level 2 grantee a level 2 grantee's DHC with the level 1 grantee's DHC and the principal's DHC as predecessor certificates, wherein death of the principal and revocation of the L 0 certificate are conditions precedent for validity of any certificate with a predecessor certificate.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
receiving an authentication attempt from a grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC; and
providing authentication only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.