SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VALIDATING CERTIFICATE ISSUANCE NOTIFICATION MESSAGES

• US 20100241851A1
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Truskovsky, Alexander, Gandhi, Shivangi, Mok, Cheryl, Jackson, Eli, Adams, Neil Patrick, Tu, Van Quy
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity

Abstract

To validate a received certificate issuance notification message, a device may verify that the certificate issuance notification message conforms to expected norms or authenticate a signature associate with the certificate issuance notification message. Upon validating, the device may then transmit a uniform resource locator, extracted from the certificate issuance notification message, to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.

Claims

1. A method of validating a certificate issuance notification message, said method comprising:

receiving a message;

determining that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message;

verifying that said certificate issuance notification message conforms to expected norms; and

responsive to said verifying, transmitting a uniform resource locator, extracted from said certificate issuance notification message, to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message comprises determining that a sender of said message is a certificate authority.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said verifying that said certificate issuance notification message conforms to expected norms comprises determining that a size of said message is less than a predetermined maximum message size.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising extracting a plurality of uniform resource locators from said certificate issuance notification message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said verifying that said certificate issuance notification message conforms to expected norms comprises determining that a quantity of said plurality of said extracted uniform resource locators is less than a maximum expected count of uniform resource locators.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an instruction from said network entity; and

responsive to said instruction, activating certificate issuance notification message handling.

7. A mail server comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive a message;

a processor adapted to;

determine that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message;

verify that said certificate issuance notification message conforms to expected norms; and

extract a uniform resource locator from said certificate issuance notification message; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit said uniform resource locator to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.

8. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor in a mail server, cause said processor to:

receive a message;

determine that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message;

verify that said certificate issuance notification message conforms to expected norms;

extract a uniform resource locator from said certificate issuance notification message;

transmit said uniform resource locator to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.

9. A method of validating a certificate issuance notification message, said method comprising:

receiving a message;

determining that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message;

determining that said message is associated with a signature;

authenticating said signature;

responsive to said authenticating, extracting a uniform resource locator from said certificate issuance notification message; and

transmitting said uniform resource locator to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message comprises determining that a sender of said message is a certificate authority.

11. A mail server comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive a message;

a processor adapted to;

determine that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message;

determine that said message is associated with a signature;

authenticate said signature; and

extract a uniform resource locator from said certificate issuance notification message; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit said uniform resource locator to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.

12. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor in a mail server, cause said processor to:

receive a message;

determine that said message comprises a certificate issuance notification message;

determine that said message is associated with a signature;

authenticate said signature;

extract a uniform resource locator from said certificate issuance notification message;

transmit said uniform resource locator to a network entity configured for processing certificate issuance.