Patent · US Active

System, method, and program for managing a user key used to sign a message for a data processing system

US8307098B1 · kind B1 · utility

5Cited by
12References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 2000
Grant dateNov 6, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 14, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L9/3268
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system, method, and program for managing a user key used to sign a message for a data processing system having an encryption chip are disclosed. A user is assigned a user key. In order to encrypt and send messages to a recipient(s), the messages are encrypted with the user key. The user key, in turn, is encrypted with an associated key. The associated key is further encrypted using an encryption chip key stored on the encryption chip. The encrypted messages are communicated to a recipient to validate an association of the user with the encrypted messages. The associated key is decrypted with the encryption chip key. The user key is decrypted with the associated key, and the messages are decrypted with the user key. Thereafter, validation of the association of messages with the user is removed by revoking the associated key. In a preferred embodiment, encryption resources are centralized in a server system having the encryption chip. The server system is coupled to and provides encryption services to a plurality of client systems. Messages to be encrypted are sent from a user's client system to the server system, which encrypts the messages using the encryption chip. The encrypted…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.