System and method for securely delivering installation keys to a production facility

• US 20050021962A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Benedikt, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00

Abstract

A system and method for securely delivering installation keys from a key generator to an individualization device at a production facility is presented. Operators, using a production key server at the manufacturing facility, send a request to a key release server for a number of installation keys according to a production run. The key release server verifies the request, and if valid, returns the requested number of installation keys to the production key server in an encrypted format. The production key server then decrypts and delivers installation keys to the individualization device in a just-in-time fashion. The production key server includes various security devices including a hardware decryption device to decrypt the installation keys, a smart card reader for authenticating authorized operators, and a limiting switch to disable the production key server if it is tampered with.

Claims

1. A system for delivering an installation key to an individualization device in a secure manner, the system comprising:

an individualization device that writes an installation key onto an installation media;

a key generator that generates the installation key; and

a production key server that obtains the installation key from the key generator in an encrypted format, decrypts the encrypted installation key, and delivers the installation key to the individualization device for writing the installation key onto the installation media.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key generator after being enabled to do so by an operator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the production key server is enabled by the operator by authenticating the identity of the operator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the production key server authenticates the identity of the operator according to information read from a smart card and an operator-entered personal identification number.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising a key release server, and wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key generator via the key release server.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key generator by sending a key request to the key release server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the key release server validates whether the key request is authorized, such that only if the key request is authorized does the production key server obtain the installation key.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the key request contains information authenticating the identity of the production key server, and wherein the key release server validates whether the key request is authorized according to the authenticated identity of the production key server such that only certain authenticated production key servers are authorized.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the key request contains information identifying the operator, and wherein the key release server validates whether the key request is authorized according to the information identifying the operator, such that only certain identified operators are authorized.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the key release server obtains the installation key from the key generator and sends the installation key to the production key server in an encrypted format.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the key generator encrypts the installation key.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the key release server encrypts the installation key.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the key generator encrypts the installation key, and wherein the key release server also encrypts the installation key.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the key release server sends the installation key to the production key server in an encrypted format over the Internet using a secure sockets layer (SSL).

15. The system of claim 6 further comprising a key storage database, wherein the key release server obtains the installation key from the key generator by retrieving it from the key storage database, and wherein the key generator generates the installation key and stores it in the key storage database until the key release server retrieves it.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the key generator encrypts the installation key and stores the installation key in the key storage database in its encrypted format.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein the production key server includes a hardware decryption device, and wherein the production key server decrypts the encrypted installation key using the hardware decryption device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the production key server includes a limiting switch such that any attempts to open or modify the production key server permanently disables the limiting switch.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the production key server is rendered inoperable when the limiting switch is disabled.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the production key server is affixed to a surface using attachments secured within the production key server.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the production key server is connected to the individualization device via a direct connection.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the direct connection is encased in a hardened conduit.

23. The system of claim 6, wherein the production key server obtains a plurality of installation keys from the key generator in an encrypted format according to the number of installation media to be individualized in a production run.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the production key server decrypts an installation key from the plurality of installation keys in a just-in-time manner as to when the individualization device is ready to write an installation key to an installation media.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the key request includes the number of keys to be obtained according to the number of installation media to be individualized in the production run.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the individualization device determines whether each installation key written to the installation media during a production run is readable, and reports this information to the production key server.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the production key server sends a usage response to the key release server identifying which installation keys written to installation media are readable, and which are not.

28. A method for delivering an installation key to an individualization device in a secure manner, the method comprising:

receiving an encrypted installation key;

decrypting the encrypted installation key;

delivering the installation key to an individualization device; and

writing the installation key onto an installation media.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising requesting an installation key, and wherein receiving an encrypted installation key further comprises receiving an encrypted installation key in response to the request for an installation key.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising authenticating an operator such that the request for an installation key is made only if the operator is authenticated.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein authenticating an operator comprises reading information from a smart card and validating the information with an operator-entered personal identification number.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising validating the request for an installation key to determine whether the request is an authorized request, and receiving an encrypted installation key in response to the request only if the request is an authorized request.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein requesting an installation key includes providing location identification information, and wherein validating the request for an installation key to determine whether the request is an authorized request comprises determining whether the location corresponding to the location identification information is an authorized location.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein requesting an installation key includes operator identification information, and wherein validating the request for an installation key to determine whether the request is an authorized request comprises determining whether the operator corresponds to an authorized operator.

35. The method of claim 29 further comprising requesting a plurality of installation keys, the number of which corresponding to the number of installation media to be individualized in a production run.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising receiving a plurality of encrypted installation keys in response to the request for a plurality of installation keys.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising, in response to repeated requests from the individualization device, decrypting an installation key from the plurality of encrypted installation keys, and delivering the decrypted installation key to the individualization device for writing the installation key onto installation media.

38. A system for individualizing installation media with installation keys delivered in a secure manner, the system comprising:

an individualization device that writes an installation key onto an installation media; and

a production key server that obtains the installation key from a key generator in an encrypted format, decrypts the encrypted installation key, and delivers the installation key to the individualization device for writing the installation key onto the installation media.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key generator after being enabled to do so by an operator.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the production key server is enabled by the operator by authenticating the identity of the operator.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the production key server authenticates the identity of the operator according to information read from a smart card and an operator-entered personal identification number.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key generator via a key release server.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key release server via the Internet.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key release server via the Internet using a secure sockets layer (SSL).

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key release server in response to a key request sent by the production key server.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the production key server obtains the installation key from the key release server only if the key request is an authorized request.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the key request includes authorization information that is used to determine whether the key request is an authorized request.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the authorization information includes data identifying the operator, and wherein the key request is an authorized request if the identified operator is an authorized operator according to the key release server.

49. The system of claim 38, wherein the production key server includes a hardware decryption device, and wherein the production key server decrypts the encrypted installation key using the hardware decryption device.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the production key server further includes a limiting switch such that any attempts to open or modify the production key server permanently disables the limiting switch.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the production key server is rendered inoperable when the limiting switch is disabled.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the production key server is affixed to a surface using attachments secured within the production key server.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the production key server is connected to the individualization device via a direct connection.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the direct connection is encased in a hardened conduit.

55. The system of claim 38, wherein the production key server obtains a plurality of installation keys from the key generator in an encrypted format according to the number of installation media to be individualized in a production run.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the production key server decrypts an installation key from the plurality of installation keys in a just-in-time manner according to when the individualization device is ready to write an installation key to an installation media.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the individualization device determines whether each installation key written to the installation media during a production run is readable, and reports this information to the production key server.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the production key server sends a usage response identifying which installation keys written to installation media are readable, and which are not.

59. A system for delivering an installation key in a secure manner to an individualization device for writing to installation media, the system comprising:

a key generator that generates an installation key; and

a key release server that, in response to a key request, obtains the installation key from the key generator, and delivers the installation key in an encrypted format to the individualization device.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the key release server delivers the installation key to the individualization device via a production key server, and wherein the production key server decrypts the encrypted installation key for the individualization device before the installation key is written to installation media.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the key release server delivers the installation key to the individualization device via a production key server if the key request is an authorized request.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the key request includes information identifying an operator, and wherein the key request is an authorized request if the operator is an authorized operator.

63. The system of claim 61, wherein the key release server encrypts the installation key.

64. The system of claim 61, wherein the key generator encrypts the installation key.

65. The system of claim 61, wherein the key release server and the key generator encrypt the installation key.

66. The system of claim 61, wherein the key release server delivers the installation key to the individualization device via a production key server over the Internet.

67. The system of claim 66, where the key release server delivers the installation key to the individualization device via a production key server over the Internet using a secure sockets layer (SSL).

68. The system of claim 61 further comprising a key storage database, wherein the key release server obtains the installation key from the key generator by retrieving it from the key storage database, and wherein the key generator generates the installation key and stores it in the key storage database until the key release server retrieves it.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the key generator encrypts the installation key and stores the installation key in the key storage database in its encrypted format.

70. The system of claim 61, wherein the key request includes a plurality of installation keys to be obtained, and wherein the plurality of installation keys are delivered in an encrypted format.

71. An individualized installation medium prepared by a process comprising:

receiving an encrypted installation key;

decrypting in the encrypted installation key;

delivering the decrypted installation key to an individualization device; and

writing the decrypted installation key to an installation medium.