Methods, Systems And Computer Program Products For Authenticating Computer Processing Devices And Transferring Both Encrypted And Unencrypted Data Therebetween

• US 20100235635A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: KSHIRSAGAR, MADHUKAR, JOSHI, AJAY
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

Methods for transferring a set of data from a first processing device to a second processing device are provided. Pursuant to these methods a secure shell (“SSH”) authentication is performed to authenticate a first user that is logged onto the first processing device to a second user that is logged onto the second processing device. The set of data is divided into a first data subset and a second data subset. The first data subset is encrypted to provide an encrypted data set. The encrypted data set is transferred from the first processing device to the second processing device. The second data subset is also transferred from the first processing device to the second processing device, but without encrypting the second data subset. Related data transfer systems and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a set of data from a first processing device to a second processing device, the method comprising:

performing a secure shell (“

SSH”

) authentication to authenticate a first user that is logged onto the first processing device to a second user that is logged onto the second processing device;

dividing the set of data into a first data subset and a second data subset;

encrypting the first data subset to provide an encrypted data set;

transferring the encrypted data set from the first processing device to the second processing device; and

transferring the second data subset from the first processing device to the second processing device without encrypting the second data subset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data subset comprises data that is forwarded to the first processing device as unencrypted data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set is transferred from the first processing device to the second processing device without exchanging any passwords between the first processing device and the second processing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data subset comprises data that sets up transfer of one or more files from the first processing device to the second processing device, and wherein the second data subset comprises the one or more files.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processing device passes an SSH key to the second processing device, and wherein the second processing device sends authentication information to the first processing device in response to receipt of the SSH key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, for at least some of the set of data, the data which is part of the of the first data subset and the data which is part of the second data subset is determined by the first user.

7. A data processing device, comprising:

a data collection unit that is configured to receive raw data from at least one external monitoring system;

a data transfer unit that is configured to generate control information to transfer the received data to a second processing device;

an authentication unit that is configured to authenticate the data processing device to the second data processing device using an SSH authentication protocol;

an encryption unit that is configured to encrypt the control information; and

a transmitter that is configured to transmit the received data and the control information to the second processing device, wherein at least some of the received data is transferred without encryption.

8. The data processing device of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit all of the received raw data to the second processing device without encryption.

9. The data processing device of claim 7, wherein the data collection unit is configured to receive unencrypted data from the at least one external monitoring system.

10. The data processing device of claim 7, wherein the transmitter and the authentication unit are configured to transmit the received data and the control information to the second processing device without exchanging any passwords between the first processing device and the second processing device.

11. The data processing device of claim 7, wherein the first processing device passes an SSH key to the second processing device, and wherein the second processing device sends authentication information to the first processing device in response to receipt of the SSH key.

12. A computer program product for transferring a set of data from a first processing device to a second processing device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to perform an SSH authentication to authenticate a first user that is logged onto the first processing device to a second user that is logged onto the second processing device;

computer readable program code that is configured to divide the set of data into a first data subset and a second data subset;

computer readable program code that is configured to encrypt the first data subset to provide an encrypted data set;

computer readable program code that is configured to transfer the encrypted data set from the first processing device to the second processing device; and

computer readable program code that is configured to transfer the second data subset from the first processing device to the second processing device without encrypting the second data subset.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to receive the second data subset at the first processing device as unencrypted data.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to transfer the encrypted data set from the first processing device to the second processing device comprises computer readable program code that is configured to transfer the data set from the first processing device to the second processing device without exchanging any passwords between the first processing device and the second processing device.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to divide the set of data into the first data subset and the second data subset comprises computer readable program code that is configured to include in the first data subset data that sets up transfer of one or more files from the first processing device to the second processing device and to include in the second data subset the data that comprises the one or more files.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to perform an SSH authentication to authenticate the first user that is logged onto the first processing device to the second user that is logged onto the second processing device comprises computer readable program code that is configured to pass an SSH key from the first processing device to the second processing device, and computer readable program code that is configured to receive authentication information from the second processing device in response to receipt of the SSH key.