SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR REMOTE MAINTENANCE IN AN ELECTRONIC NETWORK WITH MULTIPLE CLIENTS

• US 20110238980A1
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masato, Kotani, Seigo
• Application Number:
  US12/879,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238980A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 : involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 : Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 : Time-dependent

Abstract

A method for verifying electronic software code integrity may comprise providing a list of encryption keys to a client, encrypting a software code packet using one of the plurality of encryption keys, delivering the encrypted software code packet to the client, and informing the client to choose an encryption key for decryption based on the specific time factor. Each encryption key on the list may correlate to a respective time factor. The one of the plurality of encryption keys may be chosen from the list based at least in part on a specific time factor.

Claims

1. A method for verifying electronic software code integrity, the method comprising:

providing a list of encryption keys to a client, each encryption key on the list correlated to a respective time factor;

encrypting a software code packet using one of the plurality of encryption keys based at least in part on a specific time factor;

delivering the encrypted software code packet to the client; and

informing the client to choose an encryption key for decryption based on the specific time factor.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the specific time factor depends at least in part on a control factor and a time stamp generated at the delivery of the software code packet.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the specific time factor depends at least in part on a control factor and an update timing of the software code packet.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the specific time factor depends at least in part on a control factor and an update timing of a trusted protocol module associated with the client.

5. A method for verifying electronic software code integrity, the method comprising:

storing a list of encryption keys received from a server, each of the encryption keys correlated to a respective time factor;

receiving an encrypted software code packet from the server, the encryption key based at least in part on a specific time factor; and

choosing an encryption key for decrypting the software code based at least in part on the specific time factor.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the specific time factor depends at least in part on a control factor and a time stamp generated at the delivery of the software code packet.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the specific time factor depends at least in part on a control factor and an update timing of the software code packet.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the specific time factor depends at least in part on a control factor and an update timing of a trusted protocol module associated with a client system.

9. A method according to claim 5, wherein the list of encryption keys is stored by a trusted protocol module associated with a client system.

10. A method according to claim 5, further comprising receiving an electronic signature associated with the software code packet.

11. A method according to claim 5, further comprising receiving an electronic signature associated with the software code packet, and wherein a trusted protocol module associated with a client system checks an expiration of the electronic signature.

12. A method according to claim 5, further comprising decrypting the software code packet using the chosen encryption key.