Mutual authentication system and method for protection of postal security devices and infrastructure

• US 20060069655A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Athens, G. Thomas, Shukaitis, Michael J., Sission, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00774 MAC (Message Authentication Code), e.g. DES-MAC
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00846 Key management
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00967 PSD [Postal Security Device] as defined by the USPS [US Postal Service]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869

Abstract

A method of authenticating a PSD and an initializing infrastructure that uses a secret key, a PSD public/private key pair and a provider public/private key pair. The infrastructure prepares a signed provider key record using the provider public key and the provider private key and a first MAC using the signed provider key record and the secret key. Both are sent to the PSD. The PSD authenticates the signed provider key record using the first MAC and the provider public key using the included digital signature. The PSD prepares a signed PSD key record using the PSD public key and the PSD private key and a second MAC using the signed PSD key record and the secret key. Both are sent to the infrastructure. The infrastructure authenticates the signed PSD key record using the second MAC and the PSD public key using the included digital signature.

Claims

1. A method of mutually authenticating a postal security device and an infrastructure, said infrastructure initializing said postal security device, said method using a secret key known to said postal security device and said infrastructure, said postal security device having a PSD public key and a corresponding PSD private key, said infrastructure having a provider public key and a corresponding provider private key, the method comprising:

said infrastructure preparing a signed provider key record using said provider public key and said provider private key, said signed provider key record including said provider public key and a first digital signature;

said infrastructure creating a first message authentication code using said signed provider key record and said secret key and sending said signed provider key record and said first message authentication code to said postal security device;

said postal security device authenticating said signed provider key record using said first message authentication code;

said postal security device authenticating said provider public key using said first digital signature;

said postal security device preparing a signed PSD key record using said PSD public key and said PSD private key, said signed PSD key record including said PSD public key and a second digital signature;

said postal security device preparing a second message authentication code using said signed PSD key record and said secret key and sending said signed PSD key record and said second message authentication code to said infrastructure;

said infrastructure authenticating said signed PSD key record using said second message authentication code; and

said infrastructure authenticating said PSD public key using said second digital signature.

2. A method according to claim 1, said first digital signature being created by creating a first hash of said provider public key and encrypting said first hash using said provider private key, said second digital signature being created by creating a second hash of said PSD public key and encrypting said second hash using said PSD private key.

3. A method according to claim 2, said postal security device authenticating said provider public key by creating a third hash using said provider public key, decrypting said encrypted first hash to obtain said first hash, and comparing said first hash to said third hash, and said infrastructure authenticating said PSD public key by creating a fourth hash using said PSD public key, decrypting said encrypted second hash to obtain said second hash, and comparing said second hash to said fourth hash.

4. A method according to claim 1, said first message authentication code being created by encrypting said signed provider key record using said secret key, said second message authentication code being created by encrypting said signed PSD key record using said secret key.

5. A method according to claim 4, said first message authentication code being a portion of the encrypted signed provider key record, and said second message authentication code being a portion of the encrypted signed PSD key record.

6. A method according to claim 5, said portion of the encrypted signed provider key record being a least significant 8 bytes thereof, said portion of the encrypted signed PSD key record being a least significant 8 bytes thereof.

7. A method according to claim 1, said method further comprising said postal security device storing said provider public key and said infrastructure storing said PSD public key.

8. A method according to claim 1, said postal security device authenticating said signed provider key record by creating a third message authentication code using said signed provider key record and said secret key and comparing said first message authentication code to said third message authentication code, and said infrastructure authenticating said signed PSD key record by creating a fourth message authentication code using said signed PSD key record and said secret key and comparing said second message authentication code to said fourth message authentication code.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

said postal security device having a unique identification number, said postal security device deriving said secret key from a master key and said unique identification number, said master key being known to said postal security device and said infrastructure; and

said infrastructure obtaining said unique identification number and deriving said secret key from said master key and said unique identification number.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

said postal security device generating a random nonce, storing said random nonce, and sending said random nonce to said infrastructure;

said infrastructure encrypting said random nonce using said secret key and sending the encrypted random nonce to said postal security device; and

said postal security device decrypting said encrypted random nonce using the secret key and comparing said decrypted random nonce to said stored random nonce.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

said infrastructure generating a second random nonce, storing said second random nonce, and sending said second random nonce to said postal security device;

said postal security device encrypting said second random nonce using said secret key and sending the encrypted second random nonce to said infrastructure; and

said infrastructure decrypting said encrypted second random nonce using the secret key and comparing said decrypted second random nonce to said stored second random nonce.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

said infrastructure generating a random nonce, storing said random nonce, and sending said random nonce to said postal security device;

said postal security device encrypting said random nonce using said secret key and sending the encrypted random nonce to said infrastructure; and

said infrastructure decrypting said encrypted random nonce and comparing said decrypted random nonce to said stored random nonce.