JP2002007349A - Recording and reproducing method for secret information, and recording medium with cryptographic key or the like for identity authentication recorded thereon - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the determent-effect against illegal action on a telecommunication network by making difficult the decoding of a password or cryptographic key by increasing the number of digits in the array of alphanumerals such as cryptographic key and to exactly store authentication information such as password or cryptographic key being an alphanumeral array having a large number of digits. SOLUTION: Concerning the recording and reproducing method for secret information provided with following means, secret information such as authentication information is divided into plural parts and a large number of decoys are added to them, and the information is relocated at random and recorded on the recording medium after respectively adding addresses. Then, that recording medium is distributed to a user. The array instruction information as to which address in the addresses containing a large number of decoys is to be read in which order for restoring the secret information such as right authentication information is reported only to the user. When reproducing the secret information on the recording medium by inputting an instruction for reading the right addresses in the right order, the user performs his/her own authentication by inputting the instruction coincident with the array instruction information. Concerning the recording method for secret information and the recording medium recording cryptographic key or the like for identity authentication, the authentication information is divided into plural parts and after a large number of decoys are added, the information is relocated at random and recorded after adding respective addresses.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for recording and reproducing confidential information such as authentication information. The present invention also relates to a personal authentication method using an encryption key or the like when accessing confidential information. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for recording authentication information on a recording medium as a method for recording a password or an encryption key as a measure for suppressing illegal acts on a telecommunication network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A widely used recording medium such as a memory card has a possibility that its contents can be easily read by a third party, and "third party" is permitted by the third party. An IC card with a CPU is more suitable for recording and management of an authentication medium than a simple recording medium without a CPU because the contents cannot be read unless a password is input.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention increases the number of digits in an alphanumeric array such as an encryption key, thereby making it difficult to decipher authentication information such as a password and an encryption key, thereby suppressing illegal acts on a telecommunications network. It is an object of the present invention to enhance the effect and to be able to accurately store authentication information such as a password and an encryption key which are a multi-digit alphanumeric array.

[0004]

The first invention of the present application provides a method for recording confidential information, which includes the following means. The confidential information such as authentication information is divided into a plurality of pieces, a large number of decoys are added, the pieces are rearranged at random, each is assigned an address and recorded in a recording medium, and the recording medium is distributed to users. Only the user is notified of the array designation information indicating which address among the addresses including a large number of decoys should be read out and in which order, confidential information such as correct authentication information can be restored. In reproducing the confidential information on the recording medium, the legitimate user performs an authentication by inputting an instruction to read out a correct address in a correct order, and by inputting an instruction that matches the arrangement instruction information.

The second invention of the present application is a method for recording confidential information and personal information, which is obtained by dividing authentication information into a plurality of pieces, adding a large number of decoys, rearranging the information at random, and attaching addresses to each of them. Provided is a recording medium on which an encryption key or the like for authentication is recorded.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Referring to the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5, information division, random arrangement, and decoy mixing a. Authentication information (A in FIG. 1) 1 is created. b. The length of the authentication information, the number of divisions, the number of dummy information, etc. are determined in consideration of the importance of the information, the capacity of the storage medium, and the like. c. Divide the authentication information 1 into a plurality. B1 in FIG. 1 shows a case in which the data is equally divided according to the column arrangement (3A1, 3A2,
3A3 ...). B2 in FIG. 1 shows a case where the image is divided into three parts (3B1, 3B2, 3B3...). d. Address information 4 indicating the number of addresses corresponding to the number of divisions 3 is randomly selected from hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphanumeric characters and the like and recorded (see C in FIG. 1). e. The hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphanumeric characters, etc. selected above are assigned as addresses to each part of the division information 3 (see D1 and D2 in FIG. 1). f. Record the arrangement order of the address information 4 for restoring the division information 3 (see E in FIG. 1). g. A required number of pieces of information similar to but not identical to the division information 3 (decoy information 5) are randomly created in a size similar to that of the division information 3 (see F in FIG. 1). h. Hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphanumeric characters, etc. which are not used in the genuine address information 4 are assigned as addresses to the decoy information 4 and are designated as decoy address information 6 (see G in FIG. 1). i. The genuine division information 3 and the address information 4 and the decoy information 5 and the decoy address information 6 are stored in a recording medium as encrypted information 7 without distinction and distributed to users. j. Apart from the above-mentioned recording medium, only the correct address and its selection and restoration order are shown to the user. Note that by using address information 4 such as hiragana, katakana, kanji, and alphanumeric characters and address set information 8 (see H in FIG. 1) composed of the arrangement order or a plurality of cards shown in FIG. Correct address and its selection and restoration order "can be taught.

[0007] Information restoration k. A recording medium storing the authentication information as the encryption information 6 is loaded into the system. l. A user who needs authentication for establishing communication access or the like inputs address information 4 to the system in accordance with the arrangement order using a keyboard (including a telephone dial key having a kana / kanji conversion function) or the like. m. The system reads only the divided information 3 corresponding to the input address information 4 in the order of the input instruction,
Send to the other party of the communication. n. If the correct address information 4 is read out in the correct order, communication with the other party is established. If the correct address information 4 is not read in the correct order, the other party refuses to establish communication. Returning to "l", the address set information 7 is re-input.

[0008] Even if a malicious third party obtains a recording medium storing the authentication information as the encrypted information 7 and succeeds in decoding all the recorded information, it is necessary to separately determine which addresses are in which order. Unless information to be read is also obtained, correct recognition information cannot be obtained. Therefore,
It is difficult to perform wrongdoing by obtaining a recording medium.

For example, when it is foreseen that an i-mode mobile phone or the like will be used as a means for important electronic transactions or as a means for accessing confidential information, authentication information such as a multi-digit password or an encryption key will be transmitted to the mobile phone. As described above, it is distributed and stored in a memory of a telephone or in a removable recording medium such as a memory stick. When authentication is required, a correct address is input in a correct order in response to a request from the other party, and a large amount of restored recognition information is continuously transmitted. Even if a third party obtains the mobile phone, it is almost impossible to impersonate a legitimate holder in a transaction that requires authentication, unless the legitimate holder teaches the correct address and the order of their arrangement. It is possible.

If "Iroha Nihoto" or "Iueo" is used for the address, up to about 50 addresses including dummy can be easily managed. If you use kanji for the address, you can easily keep the correct address in thousands of dummies. Of course, alphanumeric characters and other symbols and symbols can be used.

This method is not limited to only personal authentication information for communication access such as an encryption key.
All kinds of confidential information can be safely recorded on a simple and inexpensive recording medium without a CPU, and can be easily read.

[0012] The password using alphanumeric characters currently used in online transactions and Internet browsing is [long (large number of digits) or cannot be remembered unless it is related to personal information. It is easily broken if it is short (small number of digits) or related to personal information. ] Have the disadvantages. Here, these disadvantages can be solved by using a pseudo-password (hereinafter referred to as a pass symbol) that uses so-called icons and symbols that are neither characters nor numbers, such as pictograms, portraits, illustrations, cartoons, and colors, for personal authentication. It is.

Various tens, hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of small symbols are prepared. To the person to be authenticated, assign two or several symbols selected at random from among them, provide them with a number of dummies, determine the correct symbols and the order of their selection at random, and give the result only to the user to be authenticated. Instruct to teach and memorize. It should be noted that although the degree of security is relatively low, there may be a method in which the user determines the symbol and order. A method of storing these symbols as images on an electric or magnetic recording medium such as a memory card, displaying these images simultaneously or gradually, and selecting a taught symbol from these in the order taught. It is possible.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a small icon / symbol 11 is printed on one or several cards 10A, 10B, 10C... Optically readable. The path symbol 12 (see FIG. 7) is output by reading these icons / symbols 11 with an optical reader in the order taught. The output symbol 12 is transmitted via a communication line. On the receiving side, personal authentication is completed only when the content and order of the transmitted icons / symbols 11 match the path symbols 12 registered in the system. No record of the icon / symbol 11 constituting the path symbol 12 remains in the terminal. Further, since it is not necessary to use a keyboard or the like for selection input, the possibility of leakage of the path symbol 12 is extremely small. It can be used in all kinds of telecommunications networks, whether electrical or magnetic, or optically read by printing.

If the user considers a story using the given icons and symbols, the path symbol 12
(The storage of the contents and order of icons and symbols) is further facilitated. For example, on the first screen / page, only 100 portraits of various people are recorded, and one of them is assigned to the user. If the portrait is accompanied by a name such as "Kei-chan", it can be more easily remembered. Of course, only an illustration without a name may be used. It is assumed that the second sheet contains illustrations of 100 dogs. Names such as "John" and "Taro" may be given respectively. It is assumed that the third sheet has 100 flowers recorded. According to the instructions of the system, the individual remembers this picture in portraits, this dog in dogs, and this flower in flowers. Authentication can be performed by selecting and reading in the specified order. If an individual thinks of a story, it can help with memory. For example, if the order taught is “flower”, “face”, “dog”, “this flower”
She likes the story, but thinks that the person with this face was bitten by this dog. It is extremely difficult for a malicious third party to know the contents of this individual's memory, but the memory is easy for the individual, which increases the certainty of authentication.

This authentication software method, that is, a restoration method by designating and storing the arrangement order of a plurality of data or data groups determined at random, can be applied to authentication using a fingerprint, a pupil, a retina, or the like.

When registering fingerprint reading data as authentication data, the system issues an instruction to read a plurality of fingers in a specific order. For example, (1) right ring finger,
Then (2) the little finger on the left hand, and (3) the ring finger on the right again. At the time of authentication, the user can select a method of selecting his / her own by reading fingerprints in the designated order.

Even if a malicious third party makes a copy of the fingerprints of all the fingers of the legitimate user, or even puts his or her own finger in control, the user should read the fingerprints. "Spoofing" is not possible unless all of the finger and its reading order and number are taught. Although the fingerprint itself is an effective authentication method, spoofing is made more difficult by combining with this method. If the number of readings is four,
There are 10 to the fourth power combinations, and fraud is almost impossible unless a poor system exists that allows the brute force of all of its possibilities for fingerprint reading.

This can be applied to authentication based on retina, pupil, and handprint. "3" for "right", "right", "left" three times
It is a power of 5, and if this is set to 5 times, it is a combination of 2 to the power of 5. Even if a system daze technology is developed to deceive the data collation function to that extent, it is difficult for a malicious third party to “spoof” without stealing the memory of a legitimate user.

In carrying out the present invention, any type of hard disk, floppy (registered trademark) desk, memory card, memory stick, MO disk, CD-ROM, optical card, barcode / two-dimensional codem printing card, etc. It is intended for storage media.

[0021]

According to the present invention, the recording of confidential information and personal identification authentication can be performed at an extremely economical cost and complement the weak points of a simple storage medium without a CPU.
This has the effect of realizing high security not inferior to the card.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of authentication information.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of encryption information.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment in which address set information is taught by a card.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of information division, random arrangement, and decoy mixing.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of information restoration.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a card on which icons and symbols are printed.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a path symbol.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Authentication information 3 Split information 4 Address information 5 Decoy information 6 Decoy address information 8 Address set information 10 Card 11 Small icon / symbol 10 Card 12 Pass symbol

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page F term (reference) 5B072 AA09 BB08 CC21 DD01 MM09 5B085 AE03 AE08 AE12 AE23 5D044 CC08 DE03 DE17 DE24 DE38 GK17 HL11 5J104 AA16 EA03 EA04 EA14 KA01 KA17 KA19 NA05 NA07 NA38

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Dividing confidential information such as authentication information into a plurality of
After adding a large number of decoys, they are rearranged at random, each is assigned an address, recorded in a recording medium, and the recording medium is distributed to users. Only the user is notified of the array designation information indicating which address among the addresses including a large number of decoys should be read out and in which order, confidential information such as correct authentication information can be restored. In reproducing the confidential information on the recording medium, the legitimate user performs an authentication by inputting an instruction to read out a correct address in a correct order, and by inputting an instruction that matches the arrangement instruction information. A method for recording and reproducing confidential information, comprising the above means. An icon / symbol is recorded on the card in an optically readable manner, and the card is used as a recording medium. When the card as the recording medium is optically read, the contents and order of regular icons / symbols are recorded. 2. The method for recording and reproducing confidential information according to claim 1, wherein the user inputs an instruction. 3. A method for recording confidential information and a method for recording personal information, wherein the authentication information is divided into a plurality of pieces, a large number of decoys are added, and the pieces are randomly rearranged and recorded with addresses. A recording medium on which an encryption key is recorded.