Secure instant messaging system using instant messaging group policy certificates

• US 20030204720A1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cygnacom Solutions, Inc. (Entrust Corp.), Entrust Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Cygnacom Solutions, Inc. (Entrust Corp.)
• Inventors: Schoen, Isadore, Boberski, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating instant messaging utilizes a secure instant message group policy certificate issued by an instant messaging public key infrastructure policy certificate issuing unit. The secure instant messaging group policy certificate is received, such as through a local instant messaging secure public key infrastructure proxy, and contains data defining the group members, references to other groups, security controls and relevant data such as allowed algorithms. The secure instant messaging group policy certificate defines a plurality of different instant messaging groups, each identified by an instant messaging group identifier. Each instant messaging group identifier is associated with a plurality of instant message group number identifiers. In one embodiment, an instant message subscriber called the state manager that has been designated by the instant messaging public key infrastructure policy certificate issuing unit utilizes their digital signing key to digitally sign a secure change state notification to effect a change in operational state of the instant messaging secure PKI proxy.

Claims

3-1. The method of claim 1 including the step of issuing the secure instant messaging group policy certificate in response to an emergency event.

8. An instant messaging device comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory, operatively coupled to the at least one processor, containing instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to;

receive a secure instant messaging group policy certificate issued by a instant messaging public key infrastructure policy certificate issuing unit wherein the secure instant messaging group policy certificate includes data identifying at least instant messaging group members; and

communicate an instant message from one instant messaging group member to at least another group member based on the data identifying instant messaging group members from the secure instant messaging group policy certificate.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the secure instant messaging group policy certificate includes an identifier of an authorized state manager that can authorize a change in operation of a secure instant messaging PKI proxy.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the memory contains instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

receive a secure instant message state change notification in the form of a digitally signed instant message containing an identifier associated with a state change manager; and

compare the identifier associated with the state change notification to a distinguished name identifier stored from the secure instant messaging group policy certificate to determine whether a group instant messaging state change is authorized; and

if so, execute the state change.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the secure instant messaging group policy certificate defines a plurality of different instant messaging groups each identified by an instant messaging group identifier and wherein each instant messaging group identifier is associated with a plurality of instant message group member identifiers.