Secure electronic mail system

• US 10,021,062 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appriver Canada, ULC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cirius Messaging Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: LeVasseur, Thierry, Astudillo, Esteban, McLean, Matt
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US15/793,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/68 Special signature format, e.g. XML format
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 : Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 : Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 : Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 : the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 : above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 : intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 : using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

An e-mail system is disclosed that overcomes many deficiencies of, but is backward compatible with, existing e-mail systems. Embodiments of the system may include various features, including but not limited to: (1) secure transfer of e-mail messages, without the need for users to replace existing e-mail clients or to change e-mail addresses; (2) tracking of all actions performed in connection with an e-mail transmission; (3) the ability for a recipient to view information about an e-mail message, optionally including information about how other addressees have responded to it, before deciding whether to retrieve the e-mail message; (4) the aggregation of entire e-mail conversations into a single threaded view; (5) the ability to include both private and public messages in a single e-mail communication; (6) sender control over downstream actions performed in connection with an e-mail message; (7) flexible control over cryptographic methods used to encrypt emails messages for storage.

Claims

1. A secure messaging system comprising:

a server system including a processor configured to execute a secure messaging service program; and

a sender computing device including a processor configured to execute a program that displays a client graphical user interface (GUI);

wherein the sender computing device is configured to;

receive input of a message from a sender via the client GUI;

receive input of a send command from the sender via the client GUI to send the message to a recipient designated by the sender; and

send the message over a secure channel to the server system;

wherein the server system is configured to;

receive the message;

store the message in encrypted form;

generate a substitute message after receiving the message, said substitute message lacking at least some message content of the message, and including a link that provides functionality to authenticate a recipient and to securely retrieve the message from the server system and further including a message access key including a message identifier identifying the message and a service host identifier indicating to the recipient a network accessible address of the server system at which the message is stored; and

transmit the substitute message to the sender computing device via the secure channel;

wherein the sender computing device is further configured to;

send the substitute message from the sender computing device to a third party application server for transmission to a recipient computing device, wherein the substitute message is transmitted from the sender computing device to the third party application server over a secure channel; and

wherein the server system is further configured to;

receive a request for access to the message stored at the server system from the recipient computing device, the request being generated based on the message access key in the link in the substitute message; and

transmit the message to the recipient computing device via a secure communications protocol.

2. The secure messaging system of claim 1, wherein the message is an e-mail message.

3. The secure messaging system of claim 2, wherein the e-mail message includes at least one of an attached file, a calendar invite, a signature request, and a fillable form.

4. The secure messaging system of claim 3, wherein the substitute message lacks one or more of an SMTP e-mail address of the sender, a subject line of the e-mail message, and a file name of the attached file.

5. The secure messaging system of claim 2, wherein the substitute message is a substitute e-mail message, the substitute e-mail message is transmitted to the third party application server via an SMTP relay of the third party application server, and the substitute e-mail message is transmitted from the third party application server to the recipient computing device over an SMTP protocol.

6. The secure messaging system of claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to:

receive recipient data including a recipient address from the recipient; and

transmit the message to the recipient computing device via a secure communications protocol, based on the recipient data.

7. The secure messaging system of claim 1, wherein the link is a link to a web client interface that points to a web site that provides functionality for accessing the message via a web-based interface.

8. The secure messaging system of claim 7, wherein the web-based interface is a web browser.

9. The secure messaging system of claim 1, wherein the link is a link that points to an application server that provides functionality for accessing the message via an in-application interface.

10. The secure messaging system of claim 1, wherein the sender computing device is further configured to:

receive a security token from the third party application server; and

open a secure connection between the sender computing device and the third party application server, wherein opening the secure connection includes sending the security token to the third party application server.

11. The secure messaging system of claim 1, where the message is received from the sender via a client plug-in running on the sender computing device.

12. A method for use with a secure messaging system, the method comprising:

at a sender computing device;

receiving input of a message from a sender via a client GUI;

receiving input of a send command from the sender via the client GUI to send the message to a recipient designated by the sender; and

sending the message over a secure channel to a server system;

at the server system;

receiving the message;

storing the message in encrypted form;

generating a substitute message after receiving the message, said substitute message lacking at least some message content of the message, and including a link that provides functionality to authenticate a recipient and to securely retrieve the message from the server system and further including a message access key including a message identifier identifying the message and a service host identifier indicating to the recipient a network accessible address of the server system at which the message is stored; and

transmitting the substitute message to the sender computing device via the secure channel;

at the sender computing device;

sending the substitute message from the sender computing device to a third party application server for transmission to a recipient computing device, wherein the substitute message is transmitted from the sender computing device to the third party application server over a secure channel; and

at the server system;

receiving a request for access to the message stored at the server system from the recipient computing device, the request being generated based on the message access key in the link in the substitute message; and

transmitting the message to the recipient computing device via a secure communications protocol.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the message is an e-mail message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the e-mail message includes at least one of an attached file, a calendar invite, a signature request, and a fillable form.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the substitute message lacks one or more of an SMTP e-mail address of the sender, a subject line of the e-mail message, and a file name of the attached file.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the substitute message is a substitute e-mail message, the substitute e-mail message is transmitted to the third party application server via an SMTP relay of the third party application server, and the substitute e-mail message is transmitted from the third party application server to the recipient computing device over an SMTP protocol.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the link is a link to a web client interface that points to a web site that provides functionality for accessing the message via a web-based interface.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the link is a link that points to an application server that provides functionality for accessing the message via an in-application interface.

19. A secure messaging system comprising:

a server system including a processor configured to execute a secure messaging service program;

a third party application server; and

a sender computing device including a processor configured to execute a program that displays a client graphical user interface (GUI);

wherein the sender computing device is configured to;

receive input of a message from a sender via the client GUI;

receive input of a send command from the sender via the client GUI to send the message to a recipient designated by the sender; and

send the message over a secure channel to the server system;

wherein the server system is configured to;

receive the message;

store the message in encrypted form;

generate a substitute message after receiving the message, said substitute message lacking at least some message content of the message, and including a link that provides functionality to authenticate a recipient and to securely retrieve the message from the server system and further including a message access key including a message identifier identifying the message and a service host identifier indicating to the recipient a network accessible address of the server system at which the message is stored; and

transmit the substitute message to the sender computing device via the secure channel;

wherein the sender computing device is further configured to;

send the substitute message from the sender computing device to the third party application server, wherein the substitute message is sent from the sender computing device to the third party application server over a secure channel;

wherein the third party application server is configured to;

transmit the substitute message to a recipient computing device; and

wherein the server system is further configured to;

receive a request for access to the message stored at the server system from the recipient computing device, the request being generated based on the message access key in the link in the substitute message; and

transmit the message to the recipient computing device via a secure communications protocol.

20. The secure messaging system of claim 19, wherein the message is an e-mail message, the substitute message is a substitute e-mail message, the substitute e-mail message is transmitted to the third party application server via an SMTP relay of the third party application server, and the substitute e-mail message is transmitted from the third party application server to the recipient computing device over an SMTP protocol.