Email systems

• US 20020059529A1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ROKE Manor Research Limited (Chemring Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: ROKE Manor Research Limited (Chemring Group PLC)
• Inventors: Hancock, Robert, Beton, Richard
• Application Number:
  US09/985,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• 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 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 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A secure email system for pre-selected email users forming a participating user group requiring secure communication, comprising a secure list server to which all secure emails are sent by members of the participating user group, the server comprising a store for certification data and a CPU which compares the names of intended recipients of each email message with data in the store and processes the message to facilitate onward certificated transmission provided the recipient is duly certificated as indicated by data in the store.

Claims

1. A secure email system for pre-selected email users forming a participating user group requiring secure communication, comprising a secure list server to which all secure emails are sent by members of the participating user group, the server comprising a store for certification data and a CPU which compares the names of intended recipients of each email message with data in the store and processes the message to facilitate onward certificated transmission provided the recipient is duly certificated as indicated by data in the store.

2. A secure email system as claimed in claim 1, the said certification store contains the email address of all user group members and the public key of each member.

3. A secure email system as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, wherein the public key of each group member is based on the same coding system.

4. A secure email system as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, wherein different coding systems are used for the public keys used by group members.

5. A secure email system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the said store is arranged to contain a plurality of mailing lists, each of which appertains to different user group, whereby the use of one server for a plurality of disparate user groups is thereby facilitated.

6. A secure email system for pre-selected email users forming a participating user group requiring secure communication, as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.