Remote certificate management

• US 20070005956A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Machado de Wright, Laura, Brown, S., Zilinskas, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A system for managing security certificates on a plurality of remote computers comprises a certificate manager that can determine in accordance with at least one preestablished criterion whether a security certificate on a remote computer is to be managed. The system also includes an installer module that can access an account of the remote computer to manage the security certificate. Methods of using the system are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for managing security certificates on a plurality of remote computers, comprising:

a certificate manager that can determine in accordance with at least one preestablished criterion whether a security certificate on a remote computer is to be managed, and

an installer module that can access an account of the remote computer to manage the security certificate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the installer module can delete the security certificate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the installer module can replace the security certificate with a second security certificate.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the installer module can add at least one additional security certificate to the remote computer.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a verification module that can check a status of the security certificate.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the verification module can access a certificate authority.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the certificate authority is an issuing authority.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the verification module can verify an expiration date.

9. A computer-implemented method to facilitate security administration, comprising:

identifying a plurality of user accounts wherein the user accounts are respectively associated with at least one remote computer; and

automatically updating a subset of the user accounts by installing or deleting a set of security certificates.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates includes verifying an expiration date.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates includes verifying a revocation status.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates includes communicating with a trusted entity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein communicating with a trusted entity includes communicating with an issuing entity.

15. A system to facilitate security administration, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of user accounts wherein the user accounts are respectively associated with at least one remote computer; and

means for automatically updating a subset of the user accounts by installing or deleting a set of security certificates.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates includes means for verifying an expiration date.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates includes means for verifying a revocation status.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for verifying integrity of each security certificate in the set of security certificates includes means for communicating with a trusted entity.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for communicating with a trusted entity includes means for communicating with an issuing entity.