System and method for providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service

• US 20070071238A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Little, Herbert, Tapuska, David, Kirkup, Michael, Rybak, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A system and method for providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service. The random data service may provide random number data to one or more applications adapted to generate key pairs used in code signing applications, for example. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of: retrieving random number data from the random data service; applying one or more randomness tests to the retrieved random number data to compute at least one indicator of the randomness quality of the random number data; associating the at least one indicator with at least one state represented by a color; and displaying the color associated with the at least one indicator to a user. The color may be displayed in a traffic light icon, for example.

Claims

1. A method for providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service, the method comprising the steps of:

a) retrieving random number data from the random data service;

b) applying one or more randomness tests to the retrieved random number data to compute at least one indicator of the randomness quality of the random number data;

c) associating the at least one indicator with at least one state represented by a color; and

d) displaying the color associated with the at least one indicator to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating step includes associating the at least one indicator with one of three states, wherein the first state is represented by red, the second state is represented by yellow, and the third state is represented by green.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying the color associated with the at least one indicator in a traffic light icon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the random data service provides random number data to one or more applications adapted to generate key pairs, each key pair comprising a public and private key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of preventing the generation of a key pair when a pre-defined color is displayed at the displaying step.

6. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for performing the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said instructions are executable on a computing device.

7. A system for providing code signing services, comprising a user interface and a code signing authority application which, when executed on a computing device, performs the steps of a method of providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service, the method comprising the steps of:

a) retrieving random number data from the random data service;

b) applying one or more randomness tests to the retrieved random number data to compute at least one indicator of the randomness quality of the random number data;

c) associating the at least one indicator with at least one state represented by a color;

d) displaying the color associated with the at least one indicator to a user via said user interface; and

e) receiving an instruction from said user to generate a key pair for code signing, said key pair comprising a public key and a corresponding private key.