IP Library Granted Patent US 12,166,907
Granted Patent B2
US 12,166,907 · App. 18/360,019 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Dynamic certificate management in cryptographic agility frameworks

Inventors: Marc Wayne Brotherson (Boulder, CO); Mark Benson (Wokingham, GB); Daniel James Beveridge (Valrico, FL); Sean Huntley (Sydney, AU); Akeem Jenkins (Broomfield, CO); David Ott (Chandler, AZ)
Assignee: VMware LLC
H04L9/3268H04L9/0819H04L9/3236H04L9/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,166,907
App. No.
18/360,019
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure provides an approach for certificate management for cryptographic agility. Embodiments include receiving, by a cryptographic agility system, a cryptographic request related to an application. Embodiments include selecting, by the cryptographic agility system, a cryptographic technique based on contextual information associated with the cryptographic request. Embodiments include determining, by the cryptographic agility system, based on the cryptographic request, a certificate for authenticating a key related to the cryptographic technique. Embodiments include providing, by the cryptographic agility system, the certificate to an endpoint related to the cryptographic request for use in authenticating the key.

Claims (46)

1. A method of cryptographic agility, comprising:

receiving, by a cryptographic agility system running on one or more processors, a cryptographic request related to an application;

selecting, by the cryptographic agility system, a cryptographic technique based on contextual information associated with the cryptographic request;

determining, by a certificate manager of the cryptographic agility system, based on the cryptographic request and metadata stored in a certificate data store, whether a new certificate needs to be generated for use as a certificate for authenticating a key related to the cryptographic technique or whether a pre-generated certificate may be used as the certificate; and

providing, by the cryptographic agility system, the certificate to an endpoint related to the cryptographic request for use in authenticating the key.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein further comprising locating the pre-generated certificate in the certificate data store based on the cryptographic request.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the certificate data store comprises a plurality of certificates associated with metadata indicating suitability of the certificates for different cryptographic techniques.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the cryptographic agility system, the new certificate based on the cryptographic technique.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating with one or more separate components that digitally sign the certificate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the endpoint related to the cryptographic request comprises one of:

the application;

a proxy component related to the application; or

a client device related to the application.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the cryptographic agility system, a change related to the contextual information associated with the cryptographic request;

switching, by the cryptographic agility system, to a different cryptographic technique for the cryptographic request based on the change; and

determining, by the cryptographic agility system, based on the change, a different certificate for use in for authenticating a different key related to the different cryptographic technique.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the change and the switching occur during an ongoing cryptographic session between the application and an endpoint.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising writing, by the cryptographic agility system, to a secure ledger, information related to determining whether the new certificate needs to be generated or whether the pre-generated certificate may be used.

10. A system for cryptographic agility, comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, the at least one processor and the at least one memory configured to:

receive, by the system, a cryptographic request related to an application;

select, by the system, a cryptographic technique based on contextual information associated with the cryptographic request;

determine, by a certificate manager of the system, based on the cryptographic request and metadata stored in a certificate data store, whether a new certificate needs to be generated for use as a certificate for authenticating a key related to the cryptographic technique or whether a pre-generated certificate may be used as the certificate; and

provide, by the system, the certificate to an endpoint related to the cryptographic request for use in authenticating the key.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to locate the pre-generated certificate in the certificate data store based on the cryptographic request.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the certificate data store comprises a plurality of certificates associated with metadata indicating suitability of the certificates for different cryptographic techniques.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to generate, by the system, the new certificate based on the cryptographic technique.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to communicate with one or more separate components that digitally sign the certificate.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the endpoint related to the cryptographic request comprises one of:

the application;

a proxy component related to the application; or

a client device related to the application.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to:

determine, by the system, a change related to the contextual information associated with the cryptographic request;

switch, by the system, to a different cryptographic technique for the cryptographic request based on the change; and

determine, by the system, based on the change, a different certificate for use in for authenticating a different key related to the different cryptographic technique.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the change and the switching occur during an ongoing cryptographic session between the application and an endpoint.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to write, by the system, to a secure ledger, information related to determining whether the new certificate needs to be generated or whether the pre-generated certificate may be used.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, by a cryptographic agility system, a cryptographic request related to an application;

select, by the cryptographic agility system, a cryptographic technique based on contextual information associated with the cryptographic request;

determine, by a certificate manager of the cryptographic agility system, based on the cryptographic request and metadata stored in a certificate data store, whether a new certificate needs to be generated for use as a certificate for authenticating a key related to the cryptographic technique or whether a pre-generated certificate may be used as the certificate; and

provide, by the cryptographic agility system, the certificate to an endpoint related to the cryptographic request for use in authenticating the key.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to locate the pre-generated certificate in the certificate data store based on the cryptographic request.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 8, 2024
From: VMWARE, INC.
To: VMWARE LLC
Reel/Frame 067355/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: BROTHERSON, MARC WAYNE; BENSON, MARK; BEVERIDGE, DANIEL JAMES; HUNTLEY, SEAN; JENKINS, AKEEM; OTT, DAVID
To: VMWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 064400/0114 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17385633 · Jul 26, 2021
Related Publication 20240080207A1 · Mar 7, 2024