Method and apparatus for synchronizing an adaptable security level in an electronic communication

• US 20050081032A1
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Certicom Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Struik, Marinus
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer

Abstract

A method of communicating in a secure communication system, comprises the steps of assembling as message at a sender, then determining a security level, and including an indication of the security level in a header of the message. The message is then sent to a recipient.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a sender and at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said sender preparing a message having a header;

(b) said sender determining a security level for said message based on known security requirements;

(c) said sender including an indication of said security level in said header; and

(d) said sender sending said message to said at least one recipient.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said header is divided into a plurality of frames, and each of said frames includes an indication of a security level, thereby allowing each of said frames to have a different security level to adapt to the nature of each of said frames.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(e) said at least one recipient receiving said message from said sender;

(f) said at least one recipient extracting said indication of said security level from said header; and

(g) said at least one recipient checking said security level to ensure it meets predetermined minimum requirements and rejecting said message if said security level is below said minimum requirements.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said message is encrypted by said sender prior to sending said message.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said message is signed by said sender prior to sending said message.

8. A method according to claim 5 wherein said message is encrypted by said sender prior to sending said message and is decrypted by said at least one recipient subsequent to extracting said indication of said security level.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein said known security requirements include minimum security requirements for each of said at least one recipient and said sender.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said security level is chosen to be high enough to meet all of said minimum security requirements.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein said indication of said security level comprises a number of security bits which change in length according to the application of said method.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein said sender receives a feedback response from said at least one recipient subsequent to sending said message, said feedback response including an update of said known security requirements.

14. A method according to claim 5 wherein said at least one recipient sends a feedback response subsequent to checking said security level, said feedback response including an update of said known security requirements.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

9. A method according to claim S wherein said message is signed by said sender prior to sending said message and is authenticated by said at least one recipient subsequent to extracting said indication of said security level.

15. A method of communicating between a sender and at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said sender determining that an initial message is to be protected by a security level based on known security requirements, said determination made at a first layer of said sender;

(b) said sender sending said initial message and an indication of said security level to a second layer of said sender;

(c) said initial message undergoing cryptographic processing to generate a protected message at said second layer based on said indication of said security level using a shared key maintained between said sender and said at least one recipient; and

(d) said sender sending said protected message to said at least one recipient.

16. A method according to claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

(e) said at least one recipient receiving said protected message at a first level, said first level similar to said second level of said sender;

(f) said at least one recipient obtaining said initial message from said protected message using cryptographic processing based on said indication of said security level using said shared key; and

(g) said at least one recipient passing said initial message and said indication of said security level to a second level, checking to ensure said security level meets predetermined minimum requirements, and rejecting said initial message if said security level is below said minimum requirements, said second level similar to said first level of said sender.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein said known security requirements include minimum security requirements for each of said at least one recipient and said sender.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said security level is chosen to be high enough to meet all of said minimum security requirements.

19. A method according to claim 15 wherein said indication of said security level comprises a number of security bits which change in length according to the application of said method.

20. A method according to claim 15 wherein said sender receives a feedback response from said at least one recipient subsequent to sending said protected message, said feedback response including an update of said known security requirements.

21. A method according to claim 16 wherein said at least one recipient sends a feedback response subsequent to checking said security level, said feedback response including an update of said known security requirements.

22. A method of communicating between a sender and a group of at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said sender determining a minimum security level at which to send a message, said minimum security level based on a value SEC_A indicative of security requirements of said sender and based on a value SEC_G indicative of security requirements of said group;

(b) said sender sending said message with an indication of said security level to said at least one recipient of said group;

(c) said at least one recipient receiving said message and said indication of said security level, determining if said message meets its own minimum security requirements, and sending a feedback response to said sender with an indication of said minimum security requirements; and

(d) said sender receiving said feedback response and updating said value SEC_G based on said feedback response.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein said minimum security level is based on said value SEC_A only.

24. A method according to claim 22 wherein said sender and said group are of the same entity, said method thus providing a self synchronization of said security requirements of said sender.

25. A method according to claim 22 wherein said group comprises multiple groups and a central node intermediate of said sender and said multiple groups, said central node receiving multiple feedback responses from said multiple groups and communicating a single feedback response to said sender for updating said value SEC_G.

26. A method of communicating between a sender and at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said at least one recipient receiving a message from said sender, said message having a header, said header including an indication of a security level determined by said sender based on known security requirements;

(b) said at least one recipient extracting said indication of said security level from said header; and

(c) said at least one recipient checking said security level to ensure it meets predetermined minimum requirements and rejecting said message if said security level is below said minimum requirements.

27. A method of communicating between a sender and at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said at least one recipient receiving a protected message from said sender at a first level, said protected message generated from an initial message, said initial message determined by said sender at a first layer of said sender to be protected by a determined security level based on known security requirements, said initial message sent with an indication of said security level to a second layer of said sender whereby said initial message undergoes cryptographic processing using a shared key maintained between said sender and said at least one recipient to generate said protected message, said first level of said at least one recipient similar to said second layer of said sender;

(b) said at least one recipient obtaining said initial message from said protected message using cryptographic processing based on said indication of said security level using said shared key; and

(c) said at least one recipient passing said initial message and said indication of said security level to a second level, checking to ensure said security level meets predetermined minimum requirements, and rejecting said message if said security level is below said minimum requirements, said second level of said at least one recipient similar to said first level of said sender.

28. A method of communicating between a sender and a group of at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said sender determining a minimum security level at which to send a message, said minimum security level based on a value SEC_A indicative of security requirements of said sender and based on a value SEC_G indicative of security requirements of said group;

(b) said sender sending said message with an indication of said security level to said at least one recipient of said group to determine if said message meets minimum security requirements of said at least one recipient of said group; and

(c) said sender receiving a feedback response with an indication of said minimum security requirements of said at least one recipient and updating said value SEC_G based on said feedback response.

29. A method of communicating between a sender and a group of at least one recipient in a secure communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said at least one recipient of said group receiving from said sender a message and an indication of a security level determined by said sender, said security level based on a value SEC_A indicative of security requirements of said sender and based on a value SEC_G indicative of security requirements of said group;

(b) said at least one recipient determining if said message meets its own minimum security requirements; and

(c) said at least one recipient sending a feedback response to said sender with an indication of said minimum security requirements for updating said value SEC_G.