Secure wireless backup mechanism

• US 20020081995A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Leppinen, Mika, Reddy, Anil Y., Padma, Sachin
• Granted Patent: US 6,985,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A convenient way for securely storing sensitive data in a public storage area over a wireless network is disclosed. Data that is to be backed up is encrypted using a public key of the user and is sent over the wireless network using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technique and preferably contained within the body of a SyncML document or an XML document. The encrypted data can be later retrieved using a WAP technique and decrypted using the private key of the user.

Claims

1. A method for backing-up data in a wireless network, the method comprising steps of:

selecting data within a wireless device for backup in a storage area, the storage area being accessible by the wireless client device through the wireless network;

encrypting the selected data; and

sending the encrypted data to the storage area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the encrypted data to the storage area is done using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technique.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the encrypted data to the storage area includes a step of encapsulating the encrypted data within a SyncML document.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sending the encrypted data to the storage area includes a step of encapsulating the encrypted data within an XML document.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is one of a wireless telephone handset and a personal digital assistant.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of encrypting the selected data encrypts the selected data using a public key.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the public key is supplied by a Wireless Identity Module (WIM).

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

downloading the encrypted data from the storage area; and

decrypting the encrypted data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of downloading the encrypted data from the storage area is done using a WAP technique.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of decrypting the encrypted data decrypts the encrypted data using a private key.

11. A method for accessing backed-up data in a wireless network from a wireless device, the method comprising steps of:

downloading the backed-up data from a storage area, the backed-up data containing encrypted data and the storage area being accessible by the wireless client device through the wireless network; and

decrypting the downloaded backed-up data.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of downloading the backed-up data from the storage area is done using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technique.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of decrypting the downloaded backed-up data decrypts the encrypted data using a private key.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the private key is supplied by a Wireless Identity Module (WIM).

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the backed-up data is embedded in a SyncML document.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the backed-up data is embedded in an XML document.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the wireless client device is one of a wireless telephone handset and a personal digital assistant.

19. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the browser is a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) browser.

20. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the encrypted selected data is sent to the storage area using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technique.

21. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the encrypted selected data is encapsulated within a SyncML document.

22. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the encrypted selected data is encapsulated within an XML document.

23. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the wireless client device is one of a wireless telephone handset and a personal digital assistant.

24. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the backup/restore module encrypts the selected data using a public key.

25. The wireless terminal device according to claim 24, further comprising a Wireless Identity Module (WIM) that stores the public key.

26. The wireless terminal device according to claim 18, wherein the backup application downloads the encrypted data from the storage area,

the wireless terminal device further comprising a restore module that decrypts the encrypted data.

27. The wireless terminal device according to claim 26, wherein the encrypted data is downloaded from the storage device using a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technique.

28. The wireless terminal device according to claim 26, wherein the restore module decrypts the encrypted data using a private key.

29. The wireless terminal device according to claim 28, further comprising a Wireless Identity Module (WIM) that stores the private key.

18. A wireless terminal device, comprising:

a memory storing data;

a browser that allows a user to select data for backup storage;

a backup module encrypting the selected data; and

a backup application sending the encrypted selected data to a storage area that is accessible to the wireless terminal device through a wireless network.