TIMESTAMP-BASED TOKEN REVOCATION

• US 20130125228A1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: GAMMON, Scott Peter, DO, Tu Dien, MCGREGOR, John Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,955,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

A token used when a first device authenticates itself to a third device may be associated with a token issue timestamp. Upon receipt of an indication that all previously issued tokens are to be revoked, a second device may store a revocation timestamp. Upon receiving, from the second device, a request for establishing conditions for a file transfer, from the first device, and an indication of a token issue timestamp associated with the request, the second device may compare the token issue timestamp to the revocation timestamp. Responsive to determining, based on the comparing, that the token issue timestamp precedes the revocation timestamp, the second device may deny the request.

Claims

1. At a target device, a method of handling a request to interact with the target device, the method including:

receiving the request;

in conjunction with the receiving, receiving a token issue timestamp; and

in response to determining that the token issue timestamp precedes a revocation timestamp, denying the request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the denying the request comprises transmitting, to an entity from which the request was received, an indication that the token issue timestamp precedes the revocation timestamp.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication of a token revocation command event; and

responsive to the receiving the indication, storing the revocation timestamp.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to a transfer of a file to the target device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to streaming video to the target device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to streaming audio to the target device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to streaming text to the target device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to video conferencing.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to instant messaging.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the request relates to receiving media from the target device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the media comprises audio.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the media comprises video.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the media comprises text.

14. A device comprising:

a processor adapted to;

receive a request;

receive a token issue timestamp with the request; and

in response to determining that the token issue timestamp precedes a revocation timestamp, deny the request.

15. A computer readable device containing computer-executable instructions that, when performed by a processor, cause said processor to:

receive a request;

receive a token issue timestamp with the request; and

in response to determining that the token issue timestamp precedes a revocation timestamp, deny the request.

16. At a target device, a method of handling a request to interact with the target device, the method including:

receiving the request;

in conjunction with the receiving, receiving a token issue timestamp; and

in response to determining that a revocation timestamp precedes the token issue timestamp, allowing the request.

17. At a target device, a method of handling a request to interact with the target device, the method including:

receiving the request;

in conjunction with the receiving, receiving a token issue timestamp; and

in response to determining that a revocation timestamp has not been stored by the target device, allowing the request.