Automatic electronic mail (email) encryption by email servers
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, by an electronic mail (email) server associated with a private network, from a client device coupled with the private network, a first email message originated by a local sender using the client device and directed to a remote recipient, wherein the local sender is a first user of a plurality of users associated with the private network and wherein the remote recipient is not a user associated with the private network;
querying, by the email server, one or more key servers for a public key of the remote recipient;
when the public key of the remote recipient is returned by the one or more key servers, then using the public key of the remote recipient by the email server to encrypt the first email message;
when the public key of the remote recipient does not exist, then foregoing encryption of the first email message;
querying, by the email server, the one or more key servers for a public key of the local sender;
when the public key of the local sender does not exist on the one or more key servers, then automatically generating, by the email server, a temporary key pair for the local sender on the fly and without requiring intervention on the part of the local sender, wherein the temporary key pair for the local sender includes the public key of the local sender and a private key of the local sender; and
transmitting, by the email server, both the email message and the public key of the local sender to the remote recipient.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for automated email encryption between email servers are provided. According to one embodiment, an email, originated by a sender using a client device coupled with a private network and directed to a recipient, is received by an email server associated with the private network. A key server is queried for public keys of the recipient and the sender. When the recipient'"'"'s public key is returned by the key server, it is used to encrypt the email message; otherwise, no encryption is performed. When the sender'"'"'s public key does not exist on the key server, the email server automatically generates a temporary key pair for the sender on the fly and without requiring intervention on the part of the sender. Finally, both the email message and the public key of the sender are transmitted by the email server to the recipient.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, by an electronic mail (email) server associated with a private network, from a client device coupled with the private network, a first email message originated by a local sender using the client device and directed to a remote recipient, wherein the local sender is a first user of a plurality of users associated with the private network and wherein the remote recipient is not a user associated with the private network; querying, by the email server, one or more key servers for a public key of the remote recipient; when the public key of the remote recipient is returned by the one or more key servers, then using the public key of the remote recipient by the email server to encrypt the first email message; when the public key of the remote recipient does not exist, then foregoing encryption of the first email message; querying, by the email server, the one or more key servers for a public key of the local sender; when the public key of the local sender does not exist on the one or more key servers, then automatically generating, by the email server, a temporary key pair for the local sender on the fly and without requiring intervention on the part of the local sender, wherein the temporary key pair for the local sender includes the public key of the local sender and a private key of the local sender; and transmitting, by the email server, both the email message and the public key of the local sender to the remote recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19)
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10. An electronic mail (email) server associated with a private network, the email server comprising:
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a non-transitory storage device having embodied therein instructions representing one or more routines; and one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory storage device and operable to execute the one or more routines to perform a method comprising; receiving from a client device coupled with the private network a first email message originated by a local sender using the client device and directed to a remote recipient, wherein the local sender is a first user of a plurality of users associated with the private network and wherein the remote recipient is not a user associated with the private network; querying one or more key servers for a public key of the remote recipient; when the public key of the remote recipient is returned by the one or more key servers, then using the public key of the remote recipient to encrypt the first email message; when the public key of the remote recipient does not exist, then foregoing encryption of the first email message; querying the one or more key servers for a public key of the local sender; when the public key of the local sender does not exist on the one or more key servers, then automatically generating a temporary key pair for the local sender on the fly and without requiring intervention on the part of the local sender, wherein the temporary key pair for the local sender includes the public key of the local sender and a private key of the local sender; and transmitting both the email message and the public key of the local sender to the remote recipient. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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Specification