17947957. MANAGING UNIQUE SECRETS IN DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS simplified abstract (Amazon Technologies, Inc.)

MANAGING UNIQUE SECRETS IN DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

Organization Name

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Param Sharma of Haymarket VA (US)

Todd Cignetti of Ashburn VA (US)

Trevor Freeman of Sammamish WA (US)

MANAGING UNIQUE SECRETS IN DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17947957 titled 'MANAGING UNIQUE SECRETS IN DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

Simplified Explanation

Approaches presented herein relate to the management of secure secrets in a distributed environment. Various embodiments provide for the management of unique digital identities across multiple regions, each with its own certificate authority. These certificate authorities can operate independently but can be part of a multi-primary system where identities and keys are redundantly stored across environments. In case of a certificate authority failure in one region, another certificate authority in a different region can continue security and authentication management seamlessly. Parties involved in secure communications, such as application containers, can receive their own unique identity shared across regions for consistent certificate issuance or revocation tasks.

• Management of unique digital identities across multiple regions
• Redundant storage of identities and keys in a multi-primary system
• Seamless continuation of security and authentication management in case of a certificate authority failure
• Consistent certificate issuance or revocation tasks across regions

Potential Applications

The technology described in this patent application could be applied in various industries and scenarios, including:

• Secure communication systems
• Cloud computing environments
• IoT (Internet of Things) networks
• Financial institutions

Problems Solved

This technology addresses several challenges in managing secure secrets in distributed environments, such as:

• Ensuring continuous security and authentication management
• Reducing the impact of certificate authority failures
• Simplifying the process of certificate issuance and revocation

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include:

• Enhanced security and resilience in distributed systems
• Improved scalability and redundancy in managing digital identities
• Streamlined certificate management processes

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology outlined in this patent application has potential commercial applications in:

• Cybersecurity companies
• Cloud service providers
• Financial services firms
• Government agencies

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art in this field is the use of distributed key management systems in cloud computing environments to enhance security and manage cryptographic keys effectively.

How does this technology impact data privacy regulations?

This article does not delve into the specific implications of this technology on data privacy regulations. It would be interesting to explore how the management of unique digital identities across regions aligns with various data protection laws.

What are the potential limitations of this approach in extremely large-scale distributed systems?

The article does not address the potential challenges or limitations of implementing this technology in extremely large-scale distributed systems. It would be valuable to investigate how this approach scales and performs in such complex environments.

Original Abstract Submitted

Approaches presented herein relate to the management of secure secrets in a distributed environment. In particular, various embodiments provide for the management of unique digital identities across multiple regions, where each region can include its own certificate authority. While these certificate authorities may operate independently, they can be part of a multi-primary system where unique identities and keys are stored redundantly across environments. In the event of a failure of a certificate authority in one region, another certificate authority in another region can continue security and authentication management, without a need to issue new identities or change operation of any of the regions. Parties to secure communications, such as application containers, can each receive their own unique identity which can be shared across various regions to allow related tasks (e.g., certificate issuance or revocation) to be performed identically from any of those regions.