Method and apparatus for offline cryptographic key establishment
US7971234B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 2006 |
| Grant date | Jun 28, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 12, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2107
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention provides an authentication scheme that allows networked devices to establish trust in connection with the exchange of keys pursuant to an asymmetrical cryptographic technique, such as Diffie-Hellman. The invention provides a technique, referred to as offline key establishment, that establishes a trust relationship between two networked devices that use Diffie-Helman. Offline key sharing provides for the exchange of authentication information using a separate channel which, in the preferred embodiment does not constitute an IP connection. Thus, while communications between networked devices may ultimately proceed via a network connection, trust between the networked devices is established via a separate, offline channel, such as a telephone call or email message. The use of offline key establishment allows for such features as one way key sharing; and addresses situations where one party to the exchange does not want to share all of his keys, but just one or two keys.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.