System and method for providing secure message signature status and trust status indication
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing secure message signature status and trust status indications are disclosed. When a secure message having a digital signature generated by a sender is selected for processing on a messaging client, the digital signature on the message and trust status of the sender are checked. Separate indications are then provided to indicate the results of checking the digital signature and the trust status of the sender.
29 Citations
59 Claims
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1-22. -22. (canceled)
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23. A computer readable medium that stores encoded software instructions, the software when executed implementing a method for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message on a messaging client, said method comprising:
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selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
checking the digital signature;
checking trust status of the sender;
displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature; and
displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender;
wherein;
the secure message includes a message body;
the method further comprises the step of processing the message body;
the step of checking the digital signature comprises determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
the step of checking trust status comprises determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted; and
the step of processing is performed only if the digital signature is valid and the sender is trusted. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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37. A computer readable medium that stores encoded software instructions, the software when executed implementing a method for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message on a messaging client, comprising:
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selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
checking the digital signature;
checking trust status of the sender;
displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature; and
displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender;
wherein;
the secure message includes a message body;
the method further comprises the step of processing the message body;
the step of checking the digital signature comprises determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
the step of checking trust status comprises determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted; and
the first indicator includes a valid signature indication and an invalid signature indication. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A computer readable medium that stores encoded software instructions, the software when executed implementing a method for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message on a messaging client, comprising:
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selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
checking the digital signature;
checking trust status of the sender;
displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature; and
displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender;
wherein;
the secure message includes a message body;
the method further comprises the step of processing the message body the step of checking the digital signature comprises determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
the step of checking trust status comprises determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted;
the digital signature includes a digest and a digest signature; and
the step of checking the digital signature comprises the steps of;
generating a digest of a message body of the secure message;
extracting a digest from the digital signature;
comparing the generated and extracted digests;
checking a digest signature in the digital signature to determine if the digest signature is valid or invalid; and
determining that the digital signature is valid when the generated and extracted digests match and the digest signature is valid.
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45. A computer readable medium that stores encoded software instructions, the software when executed implementing a method for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message on a messaging client, the method comprising the steps of:
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selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
checking the digital signature;
checking trust status of the sender;
displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature; and
displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender;
wherein;
the secure message includes a message body;
the method further comprises the step of processing the message body the step of checking the digital signature comprises determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
the step of checking trust status comprises determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted;
the secure message also includes a Certificate (Cert) of the sender, the Cert including sender identity information and a public key bound to the sender identity information by a Cert signature generated by an issuer of the Cert; and
the step of checking trust status of the sender comprises the steps of;
checking the Cert signature to determine if the Cert signature is valid or invalid;
if the Cert signature is invalid, then determining that the sender is untrusted; and
if the Cert signature is valid, then determining whether the issuer of the Cert is a trusted entity;
if the issuer is a trusted entity, then determining that the sender is trusted;
if the issuer is not a trusted entity, then repeating the steps of checking the Cert signature and determining whether the issuer of the Cert is a trusted entity for each Cert in a Cert chain associated with the Cert of the sender to determine if a valid certification path to a valid root Cert from a trusted entity exists in the chain; and
if a valid certification path to a valid root Cert exists in the chain, then determining that the sender is trusted.
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46. An apparatus for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message having a message body, comprising:
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means for selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
means for checking the digital signature, including means for determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
means for checking trust status of the sender, including means for determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted;
means for processing the message body means for displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature, the first indicator including a valid signature indication and an invalid signature indication; and
means for displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An apparatus for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message having a message body, comprising:
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means for selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message, the digital signature including a digest and digest signature;
means for checking the digital signature, including means for determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
means for checking trust status of the sender, including means for determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted;
means for displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature;
means for displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender; and
means for processing the message body;
the means for checking the digital signature including;
means for generating a digest of a message body of the secure message;
means for extracting the digest from the digital signature;
means for comparing the generated and extracted digests;
means for checking a digest signature in the digital signature to determine if the digest signature is valid or invalid; and
means for determining that the digital signature is valid when the generated and extracted digests match and the digest signature is valid. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. An apparatus for displaying signature status and trust status of a secure message comprising:
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selecting for processing a secure message stored on the messaging client, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
checking the digital signature;
checking trust status of the sender;
displaying a first indicator of a result of the step of checking the digital signature; and
displaying a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender;
wherein;
the secure message includes a message body;
the method further comprises the step of processing the message body the step of checking the digital signature comprises determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
the step of checking trust status comprises determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted;
the secure message also includes a Certificate (Cert) of the sender, the Cert including sender identity information and a public key bound to the sender identity information by a Cert signature generated by an issuer of the Cert; and
the step of checking trust status of the sender comprises the steps of;
checking the Cert signature to determine if the Cert signature is valid or invalid;
if the Cert signature is invalid, then determining that the sender is untrusted; and
if the Cert signature is valid, then determining whether the issuer of the Cert is a trusted entity;
if the issuer is a trusted entity, then determining that the sender is trusted;
if the issuer is not a trusted entity, then
repeating the steps of checking the Cert signature and determining whether the issuer of the Cert is a trusted entity for each Cert in a Cert chain associated with the Cert of the sender to determine if a valid certification path to a valid root Cert from a trusted entity exists in the chain; and
if a valid certification path to a valid root Cert exists in the chain, then determining that the sender is trusted.
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55. A mobile communications device for transmitting and receiving a secure message and for indicating signature status and trust status of the secure message, comprising:
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a microprocessor for processing the secure message stored in memory on the mobile device including a message body, the secure message including a digital signature generated by a sender of the secure message;
the microprocessor being operable to check the digital signature, including determining whether the digital signature is valid or invalid;
the microprocessor being operable to check trust status of the sender, including determining whether the sender is trusted or untrusted; and
a display configured to display a first indicator of a result of checking the digital signature;
the display configured to display a second indicator of a result of the step of checking trust status of the sender;
the microprocessor processing the message body only if the digital signature is valid and the sender is trusted. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. A method for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message on a messaging client, comprising:
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displaying a first indicator of a result of checking validity of a digital signature of the secure message;
displaying a second indicator of a result of checking trust status of a sender of the secure message; and
processing a message body of the secure message only if the digital signature is valid and the sender is trusted.
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59. A method for indicating signature status and trust status of a secure message on a messaging client, comprising:
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displaying a first indicator of a result of checking validity of a digital signature;
displaying a second indicator of a result of checking trust status of the sender; and
processing the message body;
the first indicator including a valid signature indication and an invalid signature indication.
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Specification