MESSAGE AUTHENTICATION

• US 20070162757A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MACHE, Niels
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

For the authentication of messages communicated in a distributed system from an originator to a destination a keyed-hashing technique is used according to which data to be authenticated is concatenated with a private (secret) key and then processed to the cryptographic hash function. The data are transmitted together with the digest of the hash function from the originator to the destination. The data comprises temporal validity information representing the temporal validity of the data. For example the setup key of a communication is therefore only valid within a given time interval that is dynamically defined by the communication originator. After the time interval is exceeded the setup key is invalid and cannot be reused again.

Claims

1. A method for the authentication of data communicated from an originator to a destination, comprising:

using a keyed hashing technique according to which data to be authenticated is concatenated with a private key and then processed with a cryptographic hash function;

transmitting the data together with a digest of the hash function from the originator to the destination,

wherein the data comprises temporal validity information representing the temporal validity of the data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temporal validity information can be defined by the originator.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises random data which are unique for a time span defined by the temporal validity information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is a login key for a communication setup and/or a message.

5. A distributed system comprising:

an originator configured to communicate authenticated data to a destination;

the system designed for a keyed hashing technique according to which data to be authenticated is concatenated with a private key and then processed with a cryptographic hash function,

and the data are transmitted together with the digest of the hash function from the originator to the destination,

wherein the data comprises temporal validity information representing the temporal validity of the data.

6. The distributed system according to claim 5, wherein

the originator is designed to define the temporal validity information.

7. The distributed system according to claim 5, wherein

the data comprises random data which are unique for a time span defined by the temporal validity information.

8. The distributed system according to claim 5, wherein

the data is a login key for a communication setup and/or a message.