ACCOUNT AGGREGATION SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ENCRYPTION KEY MANAGEMENT METHOD OF THE ACCOUNT AGGREGATION SYSTEM

• US 20110150221A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: WATANABE, Hiroyuki, TANIUCHI, Kenichi, KITADA, Noriaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an account aggregation system includes an information processing apparatus and an account aggregation server. The information processing apparatus includes a database, an automatic sign-on process module and an encryption key processing module. The automatic sign-on process module is configured to provide authentication data the service providing servers have requested for, by using the authentication data stored in the database. The encryption key processing module is configured to register, for the account aggregation server, an encryption key for encrypting authentication data to be stored in the database or for decrypting the authentication data stored in the database, to acquire the encryption key from the account aggregation server when a process is performed by using the encryption key, and to erase the encryption key after the process is performed. The account aggregation server includes an encryption key management module which is configured to manage the encryption key.

Claims

1. An account aggregation system for assisting an entry of authentication data while requesting service from service providing servers, the system comprising:

an information processing apparatus configured to receive service from the service providing servers, each having requested the authentication data; and

an account aggregation server configured to execute encrypted communication with the information processing apparatus,

wherein the information processing apparatus comprises;

a database configured to store the authentication data;

an automatic sign-on process module configured to provide the authentication data requested by the service providing servers from the database; and

an encryption key processing module configured to register, for the account aggregation server, an encryption key for encrypting authentication data to be stored in the database or for decrypting the authentication data stored in the database, to acquire the encryption key from the account aggregation server when a process is executed using the encryption key, and to erase the encryption key after the process is executed, and

the account aggregation server comprises an encryption key management module configured to manage the encryption key.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication data comprises identification data for identifying a user and password data for confirming identification of the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the encryption key processing module comprises an encryption key updating module configured to update the encryption key managed by the account aggregation server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the encryption key updating module is configured to acquire the not-yet-updated encryption key from the account aggregation server in order to decrypt the authentication data stored in the database, to erase the not-yet-updated encryption key after decrypting the authentication data, to encrypt the authentication data using an updated encryption key in order to store the authentication data in the database, and to erase the updated encryption key after storing the authentication data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the account aggregation server further comprises an authentication module configured to authenticate the user of the information processing apparatus.

6. An information processing apparatus configured to receive service from service providing servers requesting authentication data in an account aggregation system for assisting the inputting of the authentication data in order to receive service from the service providing servers by cooperating with an account aggregation server executing encrypted communication with the information processing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a database configured to store the authentication data;

an automatic sign-on process module configured to provide the authentication data requested by the service providing servers from the database; and

an encryption key processing module configured to register, for the account aggregation server, an encryption key for encrypting authentication data to be stored in the database or for decrypting the authentication data stored in the database, to acquire the encryption key from the account aggregation server when a process is executed using the encryption key, and to erase the encryption key after the process is executed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the authentication data comprises identification data for identifying a user and password data for confirming identification of the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the encryption key processing module comprises an encryption key updating module configured to update the encryption key registered in the account aggregation server.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the encryption key processing module is configured to acquire the not-yet-updated encryption key from the account aggregation server in order to decrypt the authentication data stored in the database, to erase the not-yet-updated encryption key after decrypting the authentication data, to encrypt the authentication data by using updated encryption key in order to store the authentication data in the database, and to erase the updated encryption key after storing the authentication data.

10. An encryption key management method of an account aggregation system for assisting the inputting of authentication data in order to receive service from service providing servers, the system comprising an information processing apparatus which comprises a storage device and is configured to receive service from service providing servers requesting authentication data, and an account aggregation server configured to execute encrypted communication with the information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

storing authentication data in the storage device;

providing authentication data requested by the service providing servers from the storage device;

registering, for the account aggregation server, an encryption key for encrypting authentication data to be stored in the storage device or decrypting the authentication data stored in the storage device, acquiring the encryption key from the account aggregation server when a process is executed using the encryption key, and erasing the encryption key after the process is executed; and

managing the encryption key, by the account aggregation server.