Encryption System using Web Browsers and Untrusted Web Servers

• US 20110296179A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockify, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lockify, Inc.
• Inventors: Templin, Christopher, Templin, Jonathan, Shearer, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,898,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a first user—the creator—uses a web browser to encrypt some information. The web browser provides to the creator a URL which contains the key used for encryption, such as in the form of an anchor embedded within a URL. The web browser also provides a hash of the cryptographic key and the encrypted information to a web server. The creator transmits the URL to a second user—the viewer—who provides the URL to a web browser, thereby causing the web browser to navigate to a decryption web page maintained by the web server, but without transmitting the cryptographic key to the web server. The viewer'"'"'s web browser hashes the cryptographic key and sends the hash to the web server, which uses the hash to identify and return the encrypted information to the viewer'"'"'s web browser, which in turn uses the encryption key to decrypt the message and display the decrypted message to the viewer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(A) at a first web browser;

(1) receiving a plaintext message from a first user;

(2) encrypting the plaintext message, using an encryption key, to produce an encrypted message;

(3) hashing the encryption key to produce a first hash of the encryption key; and

(4) transmitting the encrypted message and the first hash of the encryption key to a web server;

(B) at a second web browser;

(1) receiving the encryption key from a second user;

(2) hashing the encryption key to produce a second hash of the encryption key; and

(3) transmitting the second hash of the encryption key to the web server;

(C) at the web server;

(1) receiving the encrypted message and the first hash of the encryption key from the first web browser;

(2) receiving the second hash of the encryption key from the second web browser;

(3) using the first and second hash to identify the encrypted message; and

(4) transmitting the encrypted message to the second web browser; and

(D) at the second web browser;

(1) receiving the encrypted message from the web server; and

(2) using the encryption key to decrypt the encrypted message.

2. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions tangibly stored on the computer-readable medium, wherein the instructions are executable by at least one computer processor to perform a method comprising:

(A) at a first web browser;

(1) receiving a plaintext message from a first user;

(2) encrypting the plaintext message, using an encryption key, to produce an encrypted message;

(3) hashing the encryption key to produce a first hash of the encryption key; and

(4) transmitting the encrypted message and the first hash of the encryption key to a web server;

(B) at a second web browser;

(1) receiving the encryption key from a second user;

(2) hashing the encryption key to produce a second hash of the encryption key; and

(3) transmitting the second hash of the encryption key to the web server;

(C) at the web server;

(1) receiving the encrypted message and the first hash of the encryption key from the first web browser;

(2) receiving the second hash of the encryption key from the second web browser;

(3) using the first and second hash to identify the encrypted message; and

(4) transmitting the encrypted message to the second web browser; and

(D) at the second web browser;

(1) receiving the encrypted message from the web server; and

(2) using the encryption key to decrypt the encrypted message.