Secure short message service (SMS) communications

• US 10,327,142 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mardikar, Upendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US15/858,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20180288615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• 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 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/302 involving the integer factorization problem, e.g. RSA or quadratic sieve [QS] schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/304 based on error correction codes, e.g. McEliece
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3249 using RSA or related signature schemes, e.g. Rabin scheme
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 : Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 : Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for providing secure messaging communications are disclosed. For example, a computer-implemented method may include receiving an encrypted message and a key from a sender associated with a first computing device where the encrypted message is generated by the first computing device, verifying the received key at least in part based on a comparison with a pre-determined key, processing one or more unique factors associated with the sender in view of verifying the received key, decrypting the encrypted message, re-encrypting a result of the decrypting using a key of a receiver associated with a second computing device, and sending the re-encrypted result to the receiver associated with the second computing device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a text messaging channel, an encrypted message and a first key from a first device associated with a sender;

verifying the first key based at least in part on a first identifier associated with the sender and a first variable pre-negotiated with the sender;

decrypting the encrypted message;

determining a second identifier associated with a receiver of the encrypted message;

generating a second key based on the second identifier and a second variable pre-negotiated with the receiver;

re-encrypting the decrypted message using the second key; and

transmitting, via the text messaging channel, the re-encrypted message to a second device associated with the receiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second variable comprises at least one of a timestamp or a counter associated with the receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the second key comprises applying a hash function to at least the second identifier and the second variable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second key comprises a keyed-hash message authentication code.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second key is generated further based on a user password and biometric data associated with the receiver.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the text messaging channel comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) communication channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the re-encrypted message is transmitted via a Mobile Network Operator (MNO).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein verifying the first key comprises:

generating a third key by applying a hash function to the first identifier and the first variable; and

comparing the third key against the first key.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more hardware processors via a text messaging channel, an encrypted message from a first device associated with a sender;

generating, by the one or more hardware processors, a first key for decrypting the encrypted message based at least in part on a first identifier associated with the sender and a first variable pre-negotiated with the sender;

decrypting, by the one or more hardware processors, the encrypted message using the first key;

generating, by the one or more hardware processors, a second key based at least in part on a second identifier associated with a receiver of the encrypted message;

re-encrypting, by the one or more hardware processors, the decrypted message using the second key; and

transmitting, by the one or more hardware processors via the text messaging channel, the re-encrypted message to a second device associated with the receiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first variable comprises at least one of a timestamp or a counter associated with the sender.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the first key comprises applying a hash function to at least the first identifier and the first variable.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first key comprises a keyed-hash message authentication code.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first key is generated further based on a user password and biometric data associated with the sender.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the text messaging channel comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) communication channel.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second key is generated further based on and a second variable pre-negotiated with the receiver.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the second identifier comprises a hardware identifier associated with the second device.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a text messaging channel, an encrypted message and a first key from a first device associated with a sender;

verifying the first key based at least in part on a first identifier associated with the sender and a first variable pre-negotiated with the sender;

decrypting the encrypted message;

determining a second identifier associated with a receiver of the encrypted message;

generating a second key based on the second identifier and a second variable pre-negotiated with the receiver;

re-encrypting the decrypted message using the second key; and

transmitting, via the text messaging channel, the re-encrypted message to a second device associated with the receiver.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein verifying the first key comprises:

generating a third key by applying a hash function to the first identifier and the first variable; and

comparing the third key against the first key.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second variable comprises at least one of a timestamp or a counter associated with the receiver.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein generating the second key comprises applying a hash function to at least the second identifier and the second variable.