Computer Program Product and Computer System for Peer-to-Peer Communications

• US 20100023766A1
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Singh, Abhishek
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/169
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869

Abstract

A protocol for secure peer-to-peer communications is established based on existing cryptographic techniques and encryption algorithms. The peers (120, 130, 140) and a central security agent (110) undergo mutual authentication. A newly generated nonce is used for authentication, and a random session key is used for a session. The security agent (110) generates unique session keys for communication between peers (120, 130, 140). The security agent (110) removes the burden of mutual authentication between requested peer (130, 140) and the requesting peer (120), as the security agent (110) independently authenticates the requesting peer (120) and the requested peer (130, 140). The requested peer (130, 140) and the requesting peer (120) are sent a session key by the security agent (110).

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer program product for secure peer-to-peer communications, the program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable code configured to authenticate a requesting peer with a security agent;

computer readable code configured to generate an encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer, wherein the request includes an identification of the requested peer and the generating of the request includes the requesting peer encrypting the requested peer identification, wherein the encrypting uses a public key of the security agent;

computer readable code configured to send the encrypted, peer-to-peer communication request to the security agent from the requesting peer;

computer readable code configured to authenticate the requested peer with the security agent;

computer readable code configured to generate a session key by the security agent;

computer readable code configured to generate a first encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent using a public key of the requested peer;

computer readable code configured to generate a second encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent using a public key of the requesting peer;

computer readable code configured to send the first encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent to the requested peer;

computer readable code configured to send the second encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent to the requesting peer;

computer readable code configured to encrypt data by the requesting peer using the second encrypted instance of the session key;

computer readable code configured to send the encrypted data directly from the requesting peer to the requested peer; and

computer readable code configured to receive the encrypted data and decrypting the encrypted data by the requested peer, wherein the decrypting uses the first instance of the encrypted session key.

27. The computer program product of 26, wherein the authenticating of a requesting peer with a security agent is included in a mutual authentication of the requesting peer and the security agent, and wherein the sending of the encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer that includes an identification of the requested peer occurs during the mutual authentication.

28. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to mutually authenticate the requested peer and the security agent, and wherein the sending of the first encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent to the requested peer occurs during the mutual authentication of the requested peer and the security agent.

29. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to generate a message number at the requesting peer.

30. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to generate a message number at the requested peer.

31. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to generate message numbers at the security agent for the requesting peer and the requested peer.

32. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer readable code configured to generate an encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer includes computer readable code configured to generate requests for a requesting peer to communicate with a number of requested peers and wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to distribute the encrypted session key to all of the requested peers.

34. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to authenticate the security agent with the requesting peer.

34-1. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to authenticate the security agent with the requested peer.

35. The computer program product of 26, wherein the computer readable code configured to generate an encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer includes computer readable code configured to generate requests for requesting a peer to communicate with a number of requested peers and wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable code configured to distribute different encrypted session keys to the respective requested peers.

36. A computer system comprising:

at least one storage system having a stored program; and

at least one processor, operable to process the program, wherein the system is configured by the program and the processor to;

authenticate a requesting peer with a security agent;

generate an encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer, wherein the request includes an identification of the requested peer and the generating of the request includes the requesting peer encrypting the requested peer identification, wherein the encrypting uses a public key of the security agent;

send the encrypted, peer-to-peer communication request to the security agent from the requesting peer;

authenticate the requested peer with the security agent;

generate a session key by the security agent;

generate a first encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent using a public key of the requested peer;

generate a second encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent using a public key of the requesting peer;

send the first encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent to the requested peer;

send the second encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent to the requesting peer;

encrypt data by the requesting peer using the second encrypted instance of the session key;

send the encrypted data directly from the requesting peer to the requested peer; and

receiving the encrypted data and decrypting the encrypted data by the requested peer, wherein the decrypting uses the first instance of the encrypted session key.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the authenticating of a requesting peer with a security agent is part of a process of mutual authentication of the requesting peer and the security agent, and wherein the sending of the encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer that includes an identification of the requested peer occurs during the mutual authentication process.

38. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the authenticating includes mutual authentication of the requested peer and the security agent, and wherein the sending of the first encrypted instance of the session key by the security agent to the requested peer occurs during the mutual authentication of the requested peer and the security agent.

39. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the system is configured by the program and the processor to:

generate a message number at the requesting peer.

40. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the system is configured by the program and the processor to:

generate a message number at the requested peer.

41. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the system is configured by the program and the processor to:

generate message numbers at the security agent for the requesting peer and the requested peer.

42. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein the generating of an encrypted request for peer-to-peer communication with a requested peer includes generating requests for a requesting peer to communicate with a number of requested peers and the encrypted session key is distributed to all of the requested peers.

43. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the system is configured by the program and the processor to:

authenticate the security agent with the requesting peer.

44. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the system is configured by the program and the processor to:

authenticate the security agent with the requested peer.

45. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the generating of an encrypted request for peer-to-peer communications with a requested peer includes generating requests for a requesting peer to communicate with a number of requested peers and different encrypted session keys are distributed to the respective requested peers.