Secure messaging via a mobile communications network

• US 20060019634A1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broca Plc (MXC Capital Ltd. (Guernsey))
• Original Assignee: Broca Communications Ltd.
• Inventors: Hawkes, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity

Abstract

A mobile terminal adapted to receive a message via a mobile communications network; request authentication data from the user of said mobile terminal; and automatically generate an acknowledgment message to the sender of said message including said authentication data.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal adapted to

receive a message via a mobile communications network;

request authentication data from the user of said mobile terminal; and

transmit said authentication data to an authentication system for authenticating the user of said mobile terminal.

2. A mobile terminal according to claim 1, further being adapted to automatically generate an acknowledgment message to the sender of said message.

3. An authentication system for transmitting information, said authentication system storing identification information of a plurality of providing users and a plurality of receiving users and being adapted to

receive information from at least one of said providing users;

authenticate said at least one providing user; and

transmit a message including said information via a mobile communications network to a receiving user'"'"'s mobile terminal.

4. An authentication system according to claim 3, further being adapted to authenticate a receiving user as the recipient of said information.

5. An authentication system according to claim 3, further being adapted to

provide a public/private key pair valid only for a single communication between the authentication system and said receiving user,

wherein said communication comprises a message and/or a response to said message;

encrypt at least part of said message using said public/private key pair; and

to send said public key to said receiving user as part of said message.

6. An authentication system according to claim 3, further being adapted to

provide a public/private key pair valid only for a single communication between the authentication system and said receiving user;

wherein said communication comprises a message and/or a response to said message;

send said public key to said receiving user terminal prior to said communication and store said public key in said mobile terminal; and

to

encrypt at least part of said message using said public/private key pair.

7. An authentication system according to claim 3, further being adapted to extract a public key specific to said receiving user from said stored identification information and to use said further public key for encryption of said at least part of said message.

8. An authentication system according to claim 3, further being adapted to receive an acknowledgement message or a response message from said receiving user.

9. An authentication system according to claim 8, further being adapted to transmit a confirmation message to said one providing user based upon said acknowledgement or response message.

10. An authentication system according to claim 9, wherein said confirmation message requires an acknowledgement message from said one providing user and said authentication system further being adapted to send a confirmation message to said receiver user'"'"'s terminal, notifying the terminal to decrypt and display the decrypted part of said message.

11. A method of transmitting a message via a mobile telecommunications network from a sender'"'"'s device to a user'"'"'s terminal, wherein the user is required to acknowledge receipt of said message in a predetermined way and an acknowledgement message is subsequently transmitted to the sender of said message.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said user is required to authenticate himself by providing authentication data.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said user'"'"'s terminal automatically generates said acknowledgement message upon supply of said authentication data and/or response data.

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein a central authentication system verifies the user'"'"'s authentication.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein said message or a portion thereof is only displayed to the receiving user if the receiving user provides a valid authentication.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein said message is a SMS message according to the GSM standard.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the text message is encrypted by the sender'"'"'s device before transmission and decrypted by the receiving terminal before display.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the text message comprises a first portion including the body of said message and a second portion containing encryption data used for encryption of said body and required for decryption of data included in said body.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said second portion is unencrypted.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein authentication data provided by the receiving user and/or response data to said message are encrypted using said encryption data.

21. A method according to claim 18, wherein said encryption data are valid only for a single communication between the sender and the receiving user, said communication comprising said message and a response to said message.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein said encryption requires further encryption data stored in the sender'"'"'s device.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein said decryption requires further encryption data stored in the receiving terminal.

24. A method according to claim 11, wherein at least a portion of said message and/or response message to said message is automatically deleted after a predetermined time period from said mobile terminal.

25. A method according to claim 17, wherein authentication data are used for encryption and decryption of said portion of said message.

26. A method according to claim 11, wherein conventional short message protocols and software applications running on the communications devices are used to implement the method.

27. A method according to claim 11, wherein in said sender'"'"'s device and in said receiving user'"'"'s terminal a transaction reference counter is implemented and wherein each of said transaction reference counters is incremented if a message is successfully received.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein a transaction reference is included in every message transmitter from the receiving user to the sender.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said sender compares the received transaction reference with its transaction reference counter and the sender only responds if the received transaction reference matches the sender'"'"'s transaction reference counter.

30. A method of transmitting a text message via a mobile communications network, wherein a portion of said text message is encrypted using a private/public key pair, wherein said public key is valid only for a predetermined number of text messages.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said public key is transmitted in said text message.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein said public key is transmitted in a text message, which is transmitted prior to said text message.