CREATING AND USING SECURE COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS FOR VIRTUAL UNIVERSES

• US 20100332827A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rangel, Raull, Garcia, Kelley K., Hamilton, Rick A. II, Seaman, James W., Ramsey, Martin S., Newhook, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0478 applying multiple layers of encryption, e.g. nested tunnels or encrypting the content with a first key and then with at least a second key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy

Abstract

A system and method provides secure channels for communication in a virtual universe by employing a packet interception layer for incoming and outgoing data packets. A data path is defined and is sequentially encrypted with the public keys of servers in the path. Decryption and identification of the next server occurs in a sequential manner in which the path is known only to the sender.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure communication for a client in a virtual universe, said method comprising the steps of:

intercepting a data packet to be sent by said client;

determining a network data path for transmission of said data packet;

sequentially encrypting said data packet with public keys of servers in said network data path; and

transmitting said sequentially encrypted data packet to a first recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said client is provided with a window through which said secure communication is to be provided.

3. The method of claim 2 in which said window is dedicated to providing secure communications.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving said sequentially encrypted data packet at said first recipient;

decrypting said data packet with said first recipient'"'"'s private key;

removing client and first recipient identifying information from said data packet;

encrypting said packet from said removing step using public key information for a second server in said data path; and

transmitting said data packet from the previous server to said second server.

5. The method of claim 4 in which said public key information for said second server is used by said first recipient to identify said second server.

6. The method of claim 4 in which a random delay is introduced prior to transmission.

7. The method of claim 4 in which said identification information for said second server is already available to said first recipient.

8. The method of claim 4 in which said identification information for said second server is retrieved from a public source.

9. The method of claim 4 in which said identification information for said second server is sent with said original data packet.

10. The method of claim 4 in which said second server is an intended recipient.

11. The method of claim 4 in which a last server in said data path carries out the steps of:

decrypting the packet that said server receives;

removing identifying information from said data packet; and

transmitting said packet to an intended client.

12. The method of claim 11 in which said intended client decrypts said packet and displays said decrypted data in a window.

13. The method of claim 1 in which there are more than three servers in said data path.

14. A method for deploying an application providing secure communication for a client in a virtual universe in a virtual universe environment, said method comprising providing a computer infrastructure being operable:

to intercept a data packet to be sent by said client to a first recipient;

to determine a network data path for transmission of said data packet;

to sequentially encrypt said data packet with public keys for servers in said data path; and

to transmit said sequentially encrypted data packet to said first recipient.

15. A computer readable medium containing thereon program instructions for a data processing system to:

intercept a data packet to be sent by a client to a first recipient;

determine a network path for transmission of said data packet;

sequentially encrypt said data packet with public keys for servers in said data path; and

transmit said sequentially encrypted data packet to said first recipient.

16. A data processing system whose memory includes program instructions for a data processing system to:

intercept a data packet to be sent by a client to a first recipient;

determine a network path for transmission of said data packet;

sequentially encrypt said data packet with the public keys of the of servers in said data path; and

transmit said sequentially encrypted data packet to said first recipient.