Patent · US Active

System and method for signing a message to provide one-time approval to a plurality of parties

US8607046B1 · kind B1 · utility

6Cited by
73References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 23, 2007
Grant dateDec 10, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 21, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L63/20
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for batch signing of a message is provided. An administrator initiates a management operation directed to a plurality of security appliances organized as a cluster. In response, the security appliance generates an operation context identifying the management operation to be performed. In addition, a secure encryption processor (SEP) of each security appliance generates a random nonce. The nonces are then assembled along with the operation context into a single message. The message is then cryptographically signed by an appropriate number of administrators using a cryptographic key associated with each administrator. The signed message is returned to the security appliances, where each security appliance examines the signed message and determines whether its nonce is present within the message. If so, the security appliance performs the desired management operation. However, if its nonce is not present in the signed message, the management operation is disallowed and not performed.

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