SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTING A CERTIFICATE FOR USE WITH SECURE MESSAGES

• US 20100031028A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil, Brown, Michael S., Little, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US12/183,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20100031028A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Systems and methods for selecting a certificate for use in securing a message to be transmitted from a computing device is described herein. A set of certificates is determined and the certificates are ranked based on one or more predetermined ranking criteria. At least the highest ranking certificate is displayed, and a certificate is selected for securing the message.

Claims

1. A method of processing messages for transmission from a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a set of certificates;

ranking the certificates in the set;

automatically selecting one of the certificates based on the ranking;

securing a message using the selected certificate; and

transmitting the secured message.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ranking is based on one or more predetermined ranking criteria.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising determining a sending email address, and wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an email address associated with each certificate.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an issue date of each certificate in the set.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an expiry date of each certificate in the set.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on a strength of a public key algorithm and public key length associated with each certificate in the set.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria comprises whether each certificate is trusted.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an allowed usage associated with each certificate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ranking is based on a plurality of predetermined ranking criteria selected from the group consisting of:

an email address associated with each certificate;

an issue date for each certificate;

an expiry date for each certificate;

a public key algorithm and public key length associated with each certificate;

determining, for each certificate in the set, if the certificate is trusted; and

an allowed usage for each certificate.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising storing default certificate data corresponding to the selected certificate.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising displaying the selected certificate.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message comprises a secure email message.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processor of the computing device for implementing a method of processing messages for transmission from a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a set of certificates;

ranking the certificates in the set;

automatically selecting one of the certificates based on the ranking;

securing a message using the selected certificate; and

transmitting the secured message.

14. A system for processing messages for transmission from a computing device, the system comprising the computing device on which an application executes, wherein the application is programmed to perform a method of processing messages for transmission from a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a set of certificates;

ranking the certificates in the set;

automatically selecting one of the certificates based on the ranking;

securing a message using the selected certificate; and

transmitting the secured message.

15. A method of selecting a certificate for use with a secure message to be transmitted from a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a set of certificates;

ranking each certificate in the set based on one or more predetermined ranking criteria;

displaying at least one ranked certificate, wherein the at least one certificate includes a highest ranked certificate; and

selecting a displayed certificate.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising determining a sending email address, and wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an email address associated with each certificate.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an issue date of each certificate in the set.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the one or more predetermined ranking criteria is based on an expiry date of each certificate in the set.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the ranking criteria comprises whether each certificate is trusted.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising storing default certificate data corresponding to the selected certificate.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the ranking is based on a plurality of predetermined ranking criteria selected from the group consisting of:

an email address associated with each certificate;

an issue date for each certificate;

an expiry date for each certificate;

a public key algorithm and public key length associated with each certificate;

determining, for each certificate in the set, if the certificate is trusted; and

an allowed usage for each certificate.

22. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processor of the computing device for implementing a method of selecting a certificate for use with a secure message to be transmitted from a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a set of certificates;

ranking each certificate in the set based on one or more predetermined ranking criteria;

displaying at least one ranked certificate, wherein the at least one certificate includes a highest ranked certificate;

selecting a displayed certificate.

23. A system for processing messages composed on a computing device, the system comprising the computing device on which an application executes, wherein the application is programmed to perform a method of selecting a certificate for use with a secure message to be transmitted from a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a set of certificates;

ranking each certificate in the set based on one or more predetermined ranking criteria;

displaying at least one ranked certificate, wherein the at least one certificate includes a highest ranked certificate;

selecting a displayed certificate.