System and Method of Indicating the Strength of Encryption

• US 20100146270A1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K., Little, Herbert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,347,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system are provided for secure messaging on mobile computing devices. The method and system provide for an indication of a security trust level associated with a security method used with an electronic message.

Claims

1. A method of indicating on an electronic device a security trust level associated with an electronic message, the method comprising:

accessing security-related data associated with the electronic message indicative of a type of security used with respect to the electronic message; and

determining, based upon the accessed security-related data, which of a plurality of security-related trust categories corresponds to the electronic message;

wherein a security-related indicator indicative of trust relative to a type of encryption or a type of digital signature applied to the electronic message is displayed on the electronic device based upon the determined corresponding security-related trust category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a wireless mobile communication device, a cellular telephone, or a personal data assistant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message comprises an electronic mail message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a messaging client handles the electronic mail message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the security-related trust categories is determined by an owner of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the security-related categories is determined by a user of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the security-related indicator comprises a graphical indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a message in response to selection of the security-related indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the security-related indicator includes text.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the security-related data includes a digest or a digital signature.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the security-related data indicates which type of security cipher algorithm was used with respect to the electronic message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a security-related policy store contains associations between security-related trust categories and security types, wherein the determining of the corresponding security-related trust categories includes using the associations of the security-related policy store to determine which of the security-related trust categories correspond to the electronic message,

wherein the electronic device and another electronic device are configured to use different security-related trust categories for the same security type.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message is encrypted.

14. Computer-readable medium capable of causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

15. A security-level indication system for electronic devices, wherein security-related data indicates what type of security has been used for an electronic message, comprising:

a security-related policy store configured to store security-related trust categories; and

a comparator module configured to determine which of the security-related trust categories corresponds to the electronic message by using the security-related data;

wherein a security-related indicator indicative of trust relative to a type of encryption or a type of digital signature applied to the electronic message is displayed on the electronic device based upon the determined corresponding security-related trust category.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the security-related policy store contains associations between the security-related trust categories and security types, wherein determination of the corresponding security-related trust categories includes using the associations of the security-related policy store to determine which of the security-related trust categories correspond to the electronic message.

17. The security-level indication system of claim 15, further comprising a user interface configured to display a message in response to selection of the security-related indicator.

18. A system of indicating on an electronic device a security trust level associated with an electronic message, comprising:

means for accessing security-related data associated with the electronic message indicative of a type of security used with respect to the electronic message; and

means for determining, based upon the accessed security-related data, which of a plurality of security-related trust categories corresponds to the electronic message;

wherein a security-related indicator indicative of trust relative to a type of encryption or a type of digital signature applied to the electronic message is displayed on the electronic device based upon the determined corresponding security-related trust category.