Methods, Devices, and Computer Readable Storage for Sharing Sensitive Content Securely

• US 20150106955A1
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soelberg, Emily, Mikan, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

Sensitive content is securely shared. A request is received from a first communication device to share sensitive content. The first communication device is associated with an account for a communication service provided by a network provider. A message including a link to the sensitive content is sent to a second communication device associated with a phone number. That message is addressed to the second communication device. An authentication message is received, indicating that the second communication device is associated with the phone number. Responsive to receipt of the authentication message, the sensitive content is made accessible via the second communication device without requiring that the second communication device be associated with an account for the communication service provided by the network provider.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a request from a first communication device to share sensitive content, wherein the first communication device is associated with an account for a communication service provided by a network provider;

sending, from the server, a message including a link to the sensitive content to a second communication device associated with a phone number, wherein the message is addressed to the second communication device;

receiving, by the server, an authentication message indicating that the second communication device is associated with the phone number; and

responsive to receipt of the authentication message, making the sensitive content accessible via the second communication device without requiring that the second communication device be associated with an account for the communication service provided by the network provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message including the link to the sensitive content is addressed to the phone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message including the link to the sensitive content is addressed to an electronic mail address associated with the second communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a content server, and the authentication message is sent to the content server by an authentication server responsive to receipt of verification data from the second communication device without requiring input from a user of the second communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the verification data is received by the authentication server from the second communication device via a communication network, and the verification data includes a header created by the communication network which matches the phone number to which the message containing the sensitive content is addressed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the verification data is received by the authentication server from the second communication device responsive to the second communication device:

receiving a background message addressed to the phone number associated with second communication device, wherein the background message includes a key; and

sending the verification data including the key to the authentication server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication message is sent by an authentication server responsive to receipt of verification data from the second communication device, wherein the verification data is input by a user of the second communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication message is sent by an authentication server responsive to the authentication server correlating an email address associated with the second communication device with the phone number associated with the second communication device.

9. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request from a first communication device to share sensitive content, wherein the first communication device is associated with an account for a communication service provided by a network provider;

sending a message including a link to the sensitive content to a second communication device associated with a phone number, wherein the message is addressed to the second communication device;

receiving an authentication message indicating that the second communication device is associated with the phone number; and

responsive to receipt of the authentication message, making the sensitive content accessible via the second communication device without requiring that the second communication device be associated with an account for the communication service provided by the network provider.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the message including the link to the sensitive content is addressed to the phone number.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the message including the link to the sensitive content is addressed to an electronic mail address associated with the second communication device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the authentication message is sent by an authentication server responsive to receipt of verification data from the second communication device without requiring input from a user of the second communication device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the verification data is received by the authentication server from the second communication device via a communication network, and the verification data includes a header created by the communication network which matches the phone number to which the message containing the sensitive content is addressed.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the verification data is received by the authentication server from the second communication device responsive to the second communication device:

receiving a background message addressed to the phone number associated with second communication device, wherein the background message includes a key; and

sending the verification data including the key to the authentication server.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the server is a content server, and the authentication message is sent to the content server by an authentication server responsive to the authentication server correlating an email address associated with the second communication device with the phone number associated with the second communication device.

16. A computer readable storage device having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a first communication device to share sensitive content, wherein the first communication device is associated with an account for a communication service provided by a network provider;

sending a message including a link to the sensitive content to a second communication device associated with a phone number, wherein the message is addressed to the second communication device; and

receiving an authentication message indicating that the second communication device is associated with the phone number; and

responsive to receipt of the authentication message, making the sensitive content accessible via the second communication device without requiring that the second communication device be associated with an account for the communication service provided by the network provider.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the message including the link to the sensitive content is addressed to the phone number.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the message including the link to the sensitive content is addressed to an electronic mail address associated with the second communication device.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the server is a content server, and the authentication message is sent to the content server by an authentication server responsive to receipt of verification data from the second communication device without requiring input from a user of the second communication device.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the authentication message is sent by an authentication server responsive to the authentication server correlating an email address associated with the second communication device with the phone number associated with the second communication device.