SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SECURE INFORMATION WITHIN A HYBRID PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20120054498A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rickman, Gregory M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

A method and system for managing secure information within a portable computing device are disclosed. The portable computing device includes a program module for communicating with a secure element that is part of the portable computing device. The secure element may receive messages utilizing the decrypted crypto keys derived from a non-padded cipher in order to establish a secure communications channel. The secure element may store at least one of a substantial encryption key for server authentication and a substantial encryption key for decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device. If an incorrect password is entered after a predetermined number of times, the secure element may activate security measures which may permanently disable the secure element. To establish secure communications between the secure element and a CPU of the portable computing device, a password based encryption algorithm utilizing a non-padded cipher may be employed.

Claims

1. A method for managing secure information within a portable computing device, the method comprising:

initializing a program module of a central processing unit for communicating with a secure element that is part of the portable computing device;

receiving a password for gaining access to the secure element;

initializing a password based encryption algorithm with the password;

establishing a secure communication channel between the secure element and the central processing unit based on the password based encryption algorithm; and

if the password is incorrect, then determining if a predetermined threshold number of password attempts has been achieved.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating one or more security measures if the predetermined threshold number of incorrect password attempts has been achieved.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more security measures comprises permanent disablement of the secure element.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising granting access to the secure element which comprises at least one of a substantial encryption key for server authentication and a substantial encryption key for decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the password for encrypting one or more cryptographic keys.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the password based encryption correction algorithm utilizes a non-padded cipher.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising one of authenticating the portable computing device to a server with a substantial encryption key for server authentication and decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device with a substantial encryption key for decrypting data stored locally.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises an asymmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 1024 bits.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises a symmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 80 bits.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a smartphone, and a hand-held computer with a wireless connection or link.

11. A computer system for managing secure information within a portable computing device, the system comprising:

a processor operable to;

initialize a program module of a central processing unit for communicating with a secure element that is part of the portable computing device;

initialize a password based encryption algorithm with the password;

establish a secure communication channel between the secure element and the central processing unit based on the password based encryption algorithm if the password is correct; and

determine if a predetermined threshold number of password attempts has been achieved if the password is incorrect.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to activate one or more security measures if the predetermined threshold number of incorrect password attempts has been achieved.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more security measures comprises permanent disablement of the secure element.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor operable to grant access to the secure element which comprises at least one of a substantial encryption key for server authentication and a substantial encryption key for decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is operable to use the password for encrypting one or more cryptographic keys.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the password based encryption correction algorithm utilizes a non-padded cipher.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to:

authenticate the portable computing device to a server with a substantial encryption key for server authentication and decrypt encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device with a substantial encryption key for decrypting data stored locally.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises an asymmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 1024 bits.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises a symmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 80 bits.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a smartphone, a navigation device, and a hand-held computer with a wireless connection or link.

21. A computer system for managing secure information within a portable computing device, the system comprising:

means for initializing a program module of a central processing unit for communicating with a secure element that is part of the portable computing device;

means for receiving a password for gaining access to the secure element;

means for initializing a password based encryption algorithm with the password;

means for establishing a secure communication channel between the secure element and the central processing unit based on the password based encryption algorithm; and

means for determining if a predetermined threshold number of password attempts has been achieved if the password is incorrect.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for activating one or more security measures if the predetermined threshold number of incorrect password attempts has been achieved.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more security measures comprises permanent disablement of the secure element.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for granting access to the secure element which comprises at least one of a substantial encryption key for server authentication and a substantial encryption key for decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for establishing a secure communication channel between the secure element and the central processing unit further comprises means for using the password for encrypting one or more cryptographic keys.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the password based encryption correction algorithm has a non-padded cipher.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising at least one of means for authenticating the portable computing device to a server with a substantial encryption key for server authentication and means for decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device with a substantial encryption key for decrypting data stored locally.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises an asymmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 1024 bits.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises a symmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 80 bits.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a smartphone, a navigation device, and a hand-held computer with a wireless connection or link.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for managing secure information within a portable computing device, said method comprising:

initializing a program module of a central processing unit for communicating with a secure element that is part of the portable computing device;

receiving a password for gaining access to the secure element;

initializing a password based encryption algorithm with the password;

establishing a secure communication channel between the secure element and the central processing unit based on the password based encryption algorithm; and

if the password is incorrect, then determining if a predetermined threshold number of password attempts has been achieved.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises activating one or more security measures if the predetermined threshold number of incorrect password attempts has been achieved.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the one or more security measures comprises permanent disablement of the secure element.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises granting access to the secure element which comprises at least one of a substantial encryption key for server authentication and a substantial encryption key for decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises using the password for encrypting one or more cryptographic keys.

36. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises utilizing a non-padded cipher in the password based encryption algorithm.

37. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

one of authenticating the portable computing device to a server with a substantial encryption key for server authentication and decrypting encrypted data stored locally within the portable computing device with a substantial encryption key for decrypting data stored locally.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the substantial encryption key comprises an asymmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 1024 bits.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the wherein the substantial encryption key comprises a symmetric key having a bit length of greater than or equal to 80 bits.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the portable computing device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a smartphone, a navigation device, and a hand-held computer with a wireless connection or link.