NFC Communications Device for Setting Up Encrypted Email Communication
First Claim
1. A method of providing encrypted communication, comprises:
- storing a private key of a public key/private key pair in a first memory of a first NFC-enabled communication device; and
transmitting the private key, by near field communication, to a second NFC-enabled communication device, the second NFC-enabled communication device disposed so as to be in communication with a computational platform;
wherein the computational platform executes program code that uses the private key received from the first NFC-enabled communication device in a cryptographic process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
NFC communication is utilized to provide methods, apparatus and systems for increasing the security of cryptographic keys and cryptographic processes. For the encryption and decryption of a message, public key cryptography requires the use of a pair of keys, i.e., the public key and the private key. Various embodiments of the present invention provide storage of information needed for one or more aspects of encrypting and/or decrypting messages, wherein that information is made available through an NFC communications interface. An NFC-enabled device is brought into physical proximity with a computational platform that is executing, or otherwise providing access to, an email client. Once the NFC-enabled device and the computational platform are within NFC communication range of each other, transfer of information needed to set up an encryption and/or decryption process takes place. Since the encryption/decryption keys and/or related cryptographic process parameters are not stored on the computational platform the security of this information is improved. In some embodiments the encrypted communication is encrypted email, or PUP encrypted email.
55 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of providing encrypted communication, comprises:
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storing a private key of a public key/private key pair in a first memory of a first NFC-enabled communication device; and transmitting the private key, by near field communication, to a second NFC-enabled communication device, the second NFC-enabled communication device disposed so as to be in communication with a computational platform; wherein the computational platform executes program code that uses the private key received from the first NFC-enabled communication device in a cryptographic process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of providing encrypted communication, comprising:
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receiving, at an NFC-enabled computational platform, a private key, by near field communication; executing, at the computational platform, program code that provides an email client; and executing, at the computational platform, program code that uses the private key in a cryptographic process. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. An NFC communication device, comprising:
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a first memory, the first memory having stored therein at least one private key; a second memory, the second memory having stored therein at least one public key; a third memory, the third memory having stored therein at least one pass phrase; a memory access controller coupled to the first memory, the second memory and the third memory; and an NFC modem coupled to the memory access controller. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for encrypted communication, comprising:
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a first NFC communications device comprising a first memory, the first memory having stored therein at least one private key; a memory access controller coupled to the first memory; and a first NFC modem coupled to the memory access controller; and a computational platform configured to execute program code, the computational platform including a machine readable storage medium having stored thereon program code that when executed causes the computational platform to provide an email client, and further including a second NFC communications device; wherein the first NFC communications device, and the second NFC communication device of the computational platform, must be disposed in a predetermined spatial relationship to each other such that near-field communication between the first NFC communications device and the second NFC communications is enabled. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification