Method and system for securely communicating data in a communications network

• US 20030233328A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Patentek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Patentek Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Richard T., Scott, David A., Walsh, Mark D., Tinklenberg, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US10/422,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20030233328A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• 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 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer network includes a user computer connected to a communications network, an encryption/decryption device connected to the user computer, a plurality of authentication servers connected to the communications network, an authentication server selector that determines a near authentication server for the user computer from the plurality of authentication servers, wherein the user computer is connected to the near authentication server through the communication network. In a system including a first and second computing device which each store the same series of at least one value and each store a plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes, the first computing device establishing an encrypted communications session with the second computing device using at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes selected from the plurality of encryption and decryption processes. The encrypting and decrypting processes are selected as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the stored series.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first device comprising a processor and a memory that stores a series of at least one value and a plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes; and

a second device comprising a processor and a memory that stores the same series of at least one value that is stored in the first device and a plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes;

wherein the first device further comprises;

means for establishing an encrypted communications session with the second device using at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes selected from the plurality of encryption and decryption processes; and

means for selecting the encrypting and decrypting processes as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the stored series.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for establishing an encrypted communications session further changes the selected encrypting and decrypting processes during the secure communications session as a function of the data communicated in the communications session.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the point at which the encrypting and decrypting processes is changed is determined as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the stored series.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices use the same series of at least one value in the selection of the encryption and decryption process.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of the series of a plurality of values is determined by an algorithm stored in the first and second devices.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third computing device comprising a memory that stores a second series of at least one value that is different from the series of at least one value stored in the first computing device and a plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes;

wherein the memory of the second device further stores the second series of at least one value;

wherein the third device further comprises;

means for establishing an encrypted communications session with the second device using at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes selected from the plurality of encryption and decryption processes; and

means for selecting the encrypting and decrypting processes as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the second stored series.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes stored in the third device is not contained in the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes stored in the first device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the series of at least one value is used as a key generator for an encryption process other than the encrypted communications session.

9. In a system comprising first and second devices comprising processors which each store the same series of at least one value and each store a plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes, the method comprising the steps:

the first device establishing an encrypted communications session with the second device using at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes selected from the plurality of encryption and decryption processes; and

selecting the encrypting and decrypting processes as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the stored series.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

changing the selected encrypting and decrypting processes during the secure communications session as a function of the data communicated in the communications session.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining the point at which the encrypting and decrypting processes is changed as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the stored series.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second devices use the same series of at least one value in selecting the encryption and decryption process.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the series of a plurality of values is determined by an algorithm stored in the first and second devices.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is performed in a system further comprising a third device comprising a processor storing a second series of at least one value that is different from the series of at least one value stored in the first device;

the method further comprises;

storing the second series of at least one value in the second device;

establishing an encrypted communications session between the second and third devices using at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes selected from the plurality of encryption and decryption processes; and

selecting the encrypting and decrypting processes for the communication session between the second and third devices as a function of one or more of the at least one of the plurality of values of the second stored series.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes stored in the third device is not contained in the plurality of encrypting and decrypting processes stored in the first device.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the series of at least one value is used as a key generator for an encryption process other than the encrypted communications session.