KEYCHAIN SYNCING

• US 20140281540A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Brouwer, Michael, De Atley, Dallas B., Adler, Mitchell D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/122 Hardware reduction or efficient architectures
• 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 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• 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 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1042 using topology management mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Some embodiments provide non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores a program which when executed by at least one processing unit of a device synchronizes a set of keychains stored on the device with a set of other devices. The device and the set of other devices are communicatively coupled to one another through a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The program receives a modification to a keychain in the set of keychains stored on the device. The program generates an update request for each device in the set of other devices in order to synchronize the set of keychains stored on device with the set of other devices. The program transmits through the P2P network the set of update requests to the set of other devices over a set of separate, secure communication channels.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit of a device synchronizes a set of keychains stored on the device with a set of other devices, the device and the set of other devices communicatively coupled to one another through a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a modification to a keychain in the set of keychains stored on the device;

generating an update request for each device in the set of other devices in order to synchronize the set of keychains stored on device with the set of other devices; and

transmitting through the P2P network the set of update requests to the set of other devices over a set of separate, secure communication channels.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the modification to the keychain is an addition of a keychain item to the keychain.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the modification to the keychain is a modification of a keychain item in the keychain.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the modification to the keychain is a deletion of a keychain item in the keychain.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the P2P network is implemented by an overlay network configured according to a fully connected mesh topology.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the P2P network is implemented by an overlay network configured according to a star topology comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein a center node of the star topology is a cloud storage service and remaining nodes of the star topology comprise the device and the set of other devices.

7. A method for synchronizing a set of keychains stored on a device with a set of other devices, the device and the set of other devices communicatively coupled to one another through a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the method comprising:

receiving a modification to a keychain in the set of keychains stored on the device;

generating an update request for each device in the set of other devices in order to synchronize the set of keychains stored on device with the set of other devices; and

transmitting through the P2P network the set of update requests to the set of other devices over a set of separate, secure communication channels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting through the P2P network the set of update requests to the set of other devices over the set of separate, secure communication channels comprises encrypting the update request for each device in the set of other devices with an encryption key such that the update request is decryptable by only the other device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the encryption key for encrypting the update request for each device in the set of other devices comprises a public key of public/private key pair of the other device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein synchronizing the set of keychains comprises synchronizing a portion of one or more keychains in the set of keychains.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit of a device processes requests to join a synchronization circle for syncing keychains, the synchronization circle comprising the device and a set of other devices, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a request for a particular device to join the synchronization circle;

determine whether the request is authenticated; and

when the request is determined as authenticated, prompting for approval of the request; and

when approval of the request is received from the user, adding the particular device to the synchronization circle.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for determining whether the request is authenticated comprises sets of instructions for:

verifying that a user associated with the synchronization circle submitted the request to for the particular device to join the synchronization circle; and

verifying that the request for the particular device to join the synchronization circle is generated by the particular device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the request for the particular device to join the synchronization circle comprises a signature of the request, wherein the set of instructions for verifying that the user associated with the synchronization circle submitted the request to for the particular device to join the synchronization circle comprises sets of instructions for:

decrypting the signature of the request with a public key of a user signing public/private key pair; and

determining that the request matches the decrypted signature.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the request for the particular device to join the synchronization circle comprises a signature of the request, wherein the set of instructions for verifying that the request for the particular device to join the synchronization circle is generated by the particular device comprises sets of instructions for:

decrypting the signature of the request with a public key of a public/private key pair belonging to and generated by the particular device; and

determining that the request matches the decrypted signature.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions for prompting for approval of the request comprises a set of instructions for displaying a window on a display screen of the device requesting for a password to be entered.

16. For a device, a method for processing requests to join a synchronization circle for syncing keychains, the synchronization circle comprising the device and a set of other devices, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a particular device to join the synchronization circle;

determine whether the request is authenticated; and

when the request is determined as authenticated, prompting for approval of the request; and

when approval of the request is received from the user, adding the particular device to the synchronization circle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adding the particular device to the synchronization circle comprises adding data uniquely identifying the particular device to a list of devices specified as members of the synchronization circle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adding the particular device to the synchronization circle further comprises generating a signature of the list of devices with a private key a public/private device signing key pair belonging to and generated by the device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adding the particular device to the synchronization circle further comprises storing the list of devices and the generated signature in a central location for sharing with the other devices in the synchronization circle.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising synchronizing keychains with the particular device after adding the particular device to the synchronization circle.