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Technology Transfer from the University of Oxford

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Flexi-MACs - Efficient Data Authentication - Isis Project No 3743

Authentication of large pieces of data, for example whole DVDs of information, without a burdensome computational overhead.

The Oxford Invention

The invention consists of several new and efficient ways of electronically authenticating data, with the efficiency advantage being particularly relevant to large blocks of data. These are akin to the traditional concept of a Message Authentication Code (MAC) or digital signature of a piece of data.  In other words it provides methods by which one party B can check that another party A has originated some piece of data M.

An example might be:

  1. A one-off message from A to B
  2. A broadcast by A to many parties B, C, D, E, etc.
  3. A DVD which is copied many times and may need to be checked by many different parties at various times

The solutions to the first two are provided by a combination of traditional PKI-based signatures, protocols related to the HCBK protocols and digest functions previously described in Project 2931 ‘Secure Ad Hoc Networks’.

HCBK is a new type of security protocol which involves low bandwidth channels to establish security from zero assumptions. It offers many advanced features to combat attacks whilst minimising cost on implementation and maintenance. The term HCBK, or Hash Commitment Before Knowledge, represents technologies based on the HCBK protocol family developed in Oxford with funding from major defence organisations, and available through Isis. HCBK does not require any infrastructure such as, for example, the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), or shared secrets such as passwords, and creates short ‘digest’ numbers.

The proposed solution to the third problem – the Flexi-MAC – is based on PKI and digest plus a stochastic algorithm. For example, suppose that our ‘Flexible MAC’ consists of 1,000 signed key and digest combinations, and each of the many recipients can choose say 3 of the keys at random.

Market

This technology is suitable for any organisation which needs to authenticate information, or which provides information or authentication solutions to other organisations.

Patent Status

This technology is the subject of an international patent application, and Isis would like to talk to companies interested in developing the commercial opportunity that this represents. Please contact the Isis Project Manager to discuss this further.

Request Further Information: Project Number 3743 - Flexi-MACs: Efficient Data Authentication