TOOLS FOR GENERATING PKI EMAIL ACCOUNTS

• US 20110179275A1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, Brad, Thayer, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/169
• 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 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for allowing an Email User to create a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Email Account and thereafter to digitally sign, send, verify and receive PKI encrypted emails over a computer network, such as the Internet. The systems and methods preferably include a Web-based Email System and a Certificate Authority that coordinate their actions to make the process of creating, maintaining and using the PKI Account as easy as possible for the Email User. In a preferred embodiment, a Keystore System may also be used to enhance the management and use of digital keypairs.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a) a client computer communicatively coupled to a network and operated by a user, wherein the client computer does not store or recall PKI keys;

b) an email server communicatively coupled to the network;

c) a PKI email account website hosted on one or more computers in the network, communicatively coupled to the email server, and configured to;

i) receive a PKI email account request from the user;

ii) generate and send a keypair generation request to a keystore system; and

iii) create a PKI email account for the user, wherein the PKI email account is configured to access one or more cryptographic functions stored in the keystore system to securely receive and transmit mail, wherein the PKI email account is accessible to a client-based email software and wherein the client-based email software is configured to read and send email messages; and

d) the keystore system comprising a keypair generation software and a data storage hosted on the one or more computers, and configured to;

i) generate and send a certificate signing request comprising the public key and a distinguished name, without interaction from the user and responsive to the keypair generation request, to a certificate authority, wherein the certificate authority automatically trusts one or more certificate signing requests from the keystore system and wherein the certificate authority is hosted on the one or more computers hosting the keystore system; and

ii) receive, install and store a signed certificate from the certificate authority.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PKI email account website obtains user information and the keystore system stores the user information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user information comprises a name and an email address for the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the PKI email account request comprises an upgrade from an existing email account to the PKI email account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the PKI email account website verifies the identity of the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is notified, via the PKI email account website, that the PKI email account is created.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the PKI email account website requests a certificate from the certificate authority.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the certificate authority and the PKI email account website share hardware resources.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the certificate authority and the PKI email account website are operated by the same entity.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing the certificate on the PKI email account website.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the certificate authority verifies the identity of the user.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the PKI email account is configured to access one or more keypairs in the keystore system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the keystore system is integrated with the PKI email account website.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the keystore system is accessible to a plurality of web-based email systems on the one or more computers in the network.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the distinguished name comprises a unique name for the user conforming to a standardized format.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the client-based email software is a web browser configured to display an email website, wherein the email website is displayed on the client computer, configured to read and send email messages and accessible to any computer connected to the Internet.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the client-based email software is a desktop email client and wherein a plug-in is installed within the desktop email client to access cryptographic functions provided by the keystore system.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control panel configured to receive options selected by the user to automatically request and receive a new certificate, without interaction from the user, when a current certificate is near to its expiration date.