Lincoln Open Cryptographic Key Management Architecture

Solving the complex problem of cryptographic key management enables broad employment of cryptographic protections in devices as small as a miniature drone. Modern cryptography offers a variety of encryption schemes for the protection of information. Each scheme requires keys to encrypt and decrypt information. Encryption works by scrambling information into unintelligible ciphertext by using an encryption algorithm and a short cryptographic key. Decryption restores original information from ciphertext by using a complementary decryption algorithm and a decryption key. Although many efficient and iron-clad secure encryption solutions have been standardized, these solutions are not universally used or embedded in miniature devices and computer systems. The main reason is the lack of generic, easy-to-deploy, and easy-to-use solutions for key management (KM). The MIT Lincoln Laboratory Open Cryptographic Key Management Architecture (LOCKMA) solves the KM problems by providing a highly portable software library that serves as a foundation for a secure communication system. Published in Tech Notes, 2012. This technology won a 2012 R&D 100 Award.