Method and system of secure configuration of at least one electronic device
The present invention relates to the secure configuration of electronic devices, such as for example network-connected “smart” devices and appliances, collectively referred to as “IoT devices”. A computer-implemented method of secure configuration of at least one electronic device is provided. According to the method, the electronic device connects to a blockchain database; determines from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device; obtains configuration information from said configuration block; and using the configuration information, conducts configuration of the electronic device.
1. A computer-implemented method of secure configuration of at least one electronic device, comprising:
connecting to a blockchain database;
determining from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device;
obtaining configuration information from said configuration block; and
using the configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device;
wherein said electronic device is additionally configured to conduct a forward update routine comprising:
obtaining a forward update indicator from the configuration block;
determining from said blockchain database using the forward update indicator, an updated configuration block having updated configuration information; and
if the updated configuration block exists, obtaining the updated configuration information and using the updated configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device;
wherein the forward update indicator comprises a public update key of a private/public update key pair and a subsequent or younger updated configuration block of the blockchain database comprises data/information that is encrypted with the private update key.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the configuration block comprises determining an oldest block of the blockchain database, where the block identification data corresponds to the device identification data.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the configuration block comprises searching for a block, where the block identification data corresponds to the device identification data.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device identification data comprises a block identifier and determining the configuration block comprises querying the blockchain database for a block, corresponding to the block identifier.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a configuration pointer is stored with the electronic device and obtaining the configuration information from the configuration block comprises querying the blockchain database using the configuration pointer.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a minimum block height value is stored with the electronic device and determining the configuration block comprises searching for a block, where the block identification data corresponds to the device identification data, and where said search begins from a block of the blockchain database, which corresponds to the minimum block height value.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining the configuration block comprises connecting to a blockchain search server, providing the device identification data to the blockchain search server, and receiving the configuration block.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein in case the updated
configuration block also comprises a forward update indicator, conducting the forward update
routine repeatedly, so that the electronic device is configured with configuration information, comprised in a youngest or last
configuration block of the blockchain database.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the updated configuration
information is encrypted with the private update key and the electronic device decrypts the updated configuration information using the public update key of a previous or
older updated configuration block.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,
wherein the configuration information comprises at least one or more of a configuration script, an electronic link to a configuration script, an electronic link to an operating software, an electronic link to an operating software for the electronic device, an electronic link to a firmware, an electronic link to a firmware for the electronic device, an electronic link to a software update, an electronic link to a software update for the electronic device, an electronic link to a configuration update, an electronic link to a configuration update for the electronic device, a hash and a signing key and/or a public key of a public key cryptography system.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method provides one or more of secure bootstrapping, secure re-configuration, and secure update of the at least one electronic device.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the block identification data or the device identification data comprises at least random data.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the block identification data or the device identification data comprises at least pseudo-random and/or true random data.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is an IoT device, a smart device, and/or a wireless device.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises at least one or more of a sensor, a camera, an actuator, a user interface, a network interface, a wireless interface, a display device, and an I/O interface.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising connecting to a first blockchain database and in case no configuration information can be obtained from said first blockchain database, connecting to at least a second blockchain database to obtain the configuration information.
17. A computer-implemented method of secure configuration of at least one electronic device, comprising:
connecting to a blockchain database;
determining from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device;
obtaining configuration information from said configuration block; and
using the configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device;
wherein said electronic device is additionally configured to conduct a forward update routine comprising:
obtaining a forward update indicator from the configuration block;
determining from said blockchain database using the forward update indicator, an updated configuration block having updated configuration information; and
if the updated configuration block exists, obtaining the updated configuration information and using the updated configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device;
wherein the forward update indicator comprises a hash of verification data and a subsequent or younger updated configuration block of the blockchain database comprises or corresponds to the verification data.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the updated configuration
block(s) of the blockchain database comprises at least a further hash of further verification data.
19. An electronic device, comprising:
a network interface for connecting to a communications network; and comprising
a processing device, connected with the network interface for communicating with at least one blockchain database; wherein
the processing device is configured to:
connect to the blockchain database;
determine from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device;
obtain configuration information from said configuration block;
using the configuration information, configure the electronic device; and
conduct a forward update routine wherein the processing device is configured to:
obtain a forward update indicator from the configuration block;
determine from said blockchain database using the forward update indicator, an updated configuration block having updated configuration information; and
if the updated configuration block exists, obtain the updated configuration information and using the updated configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device; and
wherein the forward update indicator comprises a public update key of a private/public update key pair and a subsequent or younger updated configuration block of the blockchain database comprises data/information that is encrypted with the private update key.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
connect to a blockchain database;
determine from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device;
obtain configuration information from said configuration block;
using the configuration information, conduct configuration of the electronic device;
conduct a forward update routine comprising causing the processor to:
obtain a forward update indicator from the configuration block;
determine from said blockchain database using the forward update indicator, an updated configuration block having updated configuration information;
if the updated configuration block exists, obtain the updated configuration information and using the updated configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device; and
wherein the forward update indicator comprises a public update key of a private/public update key pair and a subsequent or younger updated configuration block of the blockchain database comprises data/information that is encrypted with the private update key.
21. An electronic device, comprising:
a network interface for connecting to a communications network; and comprising
a processing device, connected with the network interface for communicating with at least one blockchain database; wherein
the processing device is configured to:
connect to the blockchain database;
determine from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device;
obtain configuration information from said configuration block;
using the configuration information, configure the electronic device; and
conduct a forward update routine wherein the processing device is configured to:
obtain a forward update indicator from the configuration block;
determine from said blockchain database using the forward update indicator, an updated configuration block having updated configuration information; and
if the updated configuration block exists, obtain the updated configuration information and using the updated configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device;
wherein the forward update indicator comprises a hash of verification data and a subsequent or younger updated configuration block of the blockchain database comprises or corresponds to the verification data.
22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
connect to a blockchain database;
determine from said blockchain database a configuration block comprising block identification data, where the block identification data corresponds to device identification data, stored with the electronic device;
obtain configuration information from said configuration block;
using the configuration information, conduct configuration of the electronic device;
conduct a forward update routine wherein the processor is caused to:
obtain a forward update indicator from the configuration block;
determine from said blockchain database using the forward update indicator, an updated configuration block having updated configuration information; and
if the updated configuration block exists, obtain the updated configuration information and using the updated configuration information, conducting configuration of the electronic device;
wherein the forward update indicator comprises a hash of verification data and a subsequent or younger updated configuration block of the blockchain database comprises or corresponds to the verification data.