Code certification for network transmission
US5892904A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 6, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 6, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/64
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A certification or signing method ensures the authenticity and integrity of a computer program, an executable file, or code received over a computer network. The method is used by a publisher or distributor to "sign" an executable file so it can be transmitted with confidence to a recipient over an open network like the Internet. The executable file may be of any executable form, including an executable or portable executable .exe file format, a .cab cabinet file format, an .ocx object control format, or a Java class file. The code signing method assures the recipient of the identity of the publisher as the source of file (i.e., its authenticity) and that the file has not been modified after being transmitted by the publisher (i.e., the integrity of the file). As a result, the code signing method allows an executable file to be transmitted over open computer networks like the Internet with increased certainty in the identity of the source of the file and minimized risk of contracting a computer virus or other malicious executable computer files.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.