System and Method for Device Bound Public Key Infrastructure

• US 20090150674A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cryptosoft Limited
• Original Assignee: Uniloc USA, Inc. (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Davis, Bradley C., Harjanto, Dono, Richardson, Ric B., Etchegoyen, Craig S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• 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 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Techniques are provided secured communication of data, such as in the context of a public key infrastructure (PKI). In one embodiment, the technique may involve using a private key that is bound to the device requesting the secure data, thereby making it harder for someone to copy, steal or fake. The private key may be generated by adding a filler code to a unique device identifier. The identifier may be based on at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.

Claims

1. A device for sending data via secured communication in a public key infrastructure, comprising:

a communication module for communicating with a data requesting device;

at least one processor in operative communication with the communication module; and

a memory in operative communication with the at least one processor and comprising executable code for the at least one processor to;

generate a requester key pair for the device, the pair comprising a requester private key and a requester public key; and

in response to receiving a unique device identifier from the device, calculate a difference between the identifier and the requester private key.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor stores the calculated difference as a filler code in the memory.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to:

in response to a request for the data from the device, identify the device;

encrypt the data using a sender private key and the requester public key; and

send the encrypted data and the filler code to the device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor publishes a sender public key, such that the device is able to (i) compute the requester private key by adding the filler code to the identifier and (ii) use the computed requester private key to decrypt the encrypted data.

5. A device for requesting data via secured communication in a public key infrastructure, comprising:

a communication module for communicating with a data sender;

at least one processor in operative communication with the communication module; and

a memory in operative communication with the at least one processor and comprising executable code for the at least one processor to;

receive a request for a unique device identifier of a requesting device from the sender;

in response to the request from the sender, compile unique identifying information from a computing environment of the device;

generate the identifier based at least in part on the compiled information; and

instruct the communication module to transmit the generated identifier to the sender.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is adapted to:

in response to receiving encrypted data and a filler code from the sender, compute a requester private key by adding the filler code to the identifier; and

use the computed requester private key to decrypt the encrypted data.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor compiles the unique identifying information by compiling at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises at least one of hard drive serial number, CPU ID, CPU model, CPU manufacturer, and CPU voltage for the device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a carbon degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter is based on a silicone degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one user-configurable parameter comprises at least one of hard disk volume name, user name, device name, user password, and hard disk initialization date for the device.

12. A method for secured communication in a public key infrastructure, comprising:

generating a requester key pair for a data requesting device, the pair comprising a requester private key and a requester public key;

receiving a unique device identifier from the device;

calculating a difference between the identifier and the requester private key; and

storing the difference as a filler code.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to a request for data from the device, identifying the device;

encrypting the data using a sender private key and the requester public key; and

sending the encrypted data and the filler code to the device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising publishing a sender public key, such that the device is able to (i) compute the requester private key by adding the filler code to the identifier and (ii) use the computed requester private key to decrypt the encrypted data.

15. A method for secured communication in a public key infrastructure, comprising:

receiving from a data sender a request for a unique device identifier of a requesting device;

in response to the request from the sender, compiling unique identifying information from a computing environment of the device;

generating the identifier based at least in part on the compiled information; and

providing the generated identifier to the sender.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving encrypted data and a filler code from the sender;

computing a requester private key by adding the filler code to the identifier; and

using the computed requester private key to decrypt the encrypted data.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein compiling the unique identifying information comprises compiling at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein compiling the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises compiling at least one of hard drive serial number, CPU ID, CPU model, CPU manufacturer, and CPU voltage for the device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein compiling the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises compiling a carbon degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein compiling the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises compiling a silicone degradation characteristic of a computer chip of the device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein compiling the at least one user-configurable parameter comprises compiling at least one of hard disk volume name, user name, device name, user password, and hard disk initialization date for the device.