Embedded universal integrated circuit card supporting two-factor authentication

• US 10,084,768 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2018
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John A. Nix
• Original Assignee: Network-1 Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Nix, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Teng, Louis C
• Application Number:
  US15/928,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20180212946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/40 Security arrangements using identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A module with an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) can include a profile for the eUICC. The profile can include a first and second shared secret key K for authenticating with a wireless network. The first shared secret key K can be encrypted with a first key, and the second shared secret key K can be encrypted with a second key. The module can (i) receive the first key, (ii) decrypt the first shared secret key K with the first key, and (iii) subsequently authenticate with the wireless network using the plaintext first shared secret key K. The wireless network can authenticate the user of the module using a second factor. The module can then (i) receive the second key, (ii) decrypt the second shared secret key K, and (iii) authenticate with the wireless network using the second shared secret key K. The module can comprise a mobile phone.

Claims

1. A method for a module comprising a network application and an embedded universal integrated circuit card to receive a profile for use with the embedded universal integrated circuit card, the method comprising:

(a) sending, from the module via the network application to a subscription manager system, a first message comprising;

(i) an identity for the embedded universal integrated circuit card;

(ii) a nonce; and

(iii) a first digital signature, generated using a first eUICC private key, wherein the first eUICC private key corresponds to a first eUICC public key;

(b) deriving a second eUICC private key and a corresponding second eUICC public key using a first random number generator and a first set of cryptographic algorithms;

(c) recording, by the module, a subscription manager public key which corresponds to a subscription manager private key;

(d) deriving, by the module, a profile key using a key exchange algorithm based on at least;

(i) the second eUICC private key, and

(ii) the recorded subscription manager public key,

wherein the profile key can also be derived at the subscription manager system based at least on;

(i) the second eUICC public key, and

(ii) the subscription manager private key;

(e) receiving, at the module by the network application, an encrypted profile comprising a ciphertext including a key K encrypted with a symmetric key;

(f) receiving at the module for use by the embedded universal integrated circuit card, the symmetric key;

(g) decrypting, by the embedded universal integrated circuit card, the ciphertext using the symmetric key;

(h) decrypting, by the embedded universal integrated circuit card, the encrypted profile using the profile key; and

(i) recording, by the embedded universal integrated circuit card, the decrypted profile for use in future communications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription manager public key is downloaded.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscription manager public key was recorded at the time of manufacture of the module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the key exchange algorithm is a Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the key exchange algorithm is an Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted profile is encrypted in a manner so that intermediate nodes on an IP network would not be able to read data within the profile in an unencrypted form.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted profile is encrypted with an eUICC profile key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein after the step 1(a), the module is authenticated by the subscription manager system using at least the identity of the embedded universal integrated circuit card included in the first message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein after the step 1(a), the module is authenticated by the subscription manager system using at least the digital signature included in the first message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the decrypted profile is recorded in a nonvolatile memory of the module.