DIGITAL HERITAGE NOTARY

• US 20160182240A1
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Nayshtut, Alex, Pogorelik, Oleg, Sharaga, Avishay, Smith, Ned M., Muttik, Igor
• Granted Patent: US 9,948,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

In an example, a DHN (DHN) is provided for enabling grantees to access digitally-controlled assets of a principal. The principal (level 0) establishes a digital testament (DT), identifying one or more grantees on levels 1-n. Each grantee receives a digital heritage certificate (DHC), which may be based on the PKI certificate definition. The DHC includes a “PREDECESSORS” field, identifying one or more predecessor certificates that must be revoked before the DHC is valid. All grantee DHCs have the principal'"'"'s level 0 DHC as a predecessor certificate. Level n certificates may also be valid only if all certificates at level n−1 have been revoked. In practice, a DHC may be revoked when a user of the certificate passes away, so that nth generation grantees inherit only when generation n−1 has passed away.

Claims

1. A computing apparatus comprising:

one or more logic elements comprising a DHN engine operable for;

receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a principal;

assigning the principal a principal digital heritage certificate (DHC), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish an grantee of the DT; and

assigning the grantee an grantee'"'"'s DHC with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate.

2. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the grantee is a level 1 grantee, the grantee'"'"'s DHC is a level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC, and the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a request to establish a level 2 grantee of the DT; and

assigning the level 2 grantee a level 2 grantee'"'"'s DHC with the level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC and the principal DHC as predecessor certificates.

3. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a revocation request for a DHC; and

causing a certificate revocation list (CRL) to be published indicating that the DHC has been revoked.

4. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving an authentication attempt from an grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC having at least one predecessor certificate; and

confirming authentication only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

5. The computing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the authentication attempt comprises a single-sign-on service request.

6. The computing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the authentication attempt comprises an authentication service assertion.

7. The computing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the SAML assertion is an authentication statement.

8. The computing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the authentication service assertion reuqires all predecessor certificates to be revoked.

9. The computing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the authentication attempt comprises an extensible access control markup language (XACML) access control rule.

10. The computing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the XACML access control rule comprises a condition that any predecessor certificates to be revoked.

11. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a validation request from a network service, the validation request including a DHC; and

confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

12. The computing apparatus of claim 11, wherein confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked comprises:

providing a validate certificate query to a certificate authority;

querying a certificate revocation list to determine if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked;

and confirming the validation request only if the certificate authority returns a certificate valid response and only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC appear on the certificate revocation list.

13. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one DHC is a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate.

14. One or more computer-readable mediums having stored thereon executable instructions for providing a DHN engine operable for:

receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a principal;

assigning the principal a principal digital heritage certificate (DHC), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish an grantee of the DT; and

assigning the grantee an grantee'"'"'s DHC with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate.

15. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 14, wherein the grantee is a level 1 grantee, the grantee'"'"'s DHC is a level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC, and the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a request to establish a level 2 grantee of the principal; and

assigning the level 2 grantee a level 2 grantee'"'"'s DHC with the level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC and the principal'"'"'s DHC as predecessor certificates.

16. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 14, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a revocation request for a DHC; and

causing a certificate revocation list (CRL) to be published indicating that the DHC has been revoked.

17. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 14, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving an authentication attempt from an grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC; and

providing authentication only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

18. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 17, wherein the authentication attempt comprises a single-sign-on service request.

19. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 17, wherein the authentication attempt comprises a security assertion markup language (SAML) assertion.

20. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 19, wherein the SAML assertion is an authentication statement.

21. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 14, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a validation request from a network service, the validation request including a DHC; and

confirming the validation request only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

22. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 21, wherein confirming the validation request only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked comprises:

providing a validate certificate query to a certificate authority;

querying a certificate revocation list to determine if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked;

and confirming the validation request only if the certificate authority returns a certificate valid response and only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC appear on the certificate revocation list.

23. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 14, wherein at least one DHC is a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate.

24. A method of providing a DHN comprising:

receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a principal;

assigning the principal a principal digital heritage certificate (DHC), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish an grantee of the DT; and

assigning the grantee an grantee'"'"'s DHC with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate. receiving a request to establish a level 1 grantee of the DT;

assigning the level 1 grantee a level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC with the principal'"'"'s DHC as a predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish a level 2 grantee of the principal; and

assigning the level 2 grantee a level 2 grantee'"'"'s DHC with the level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC and the principal'"'"'s DHC as predecessor certificates.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving an authentication attempt from an grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC; and

providing authentication only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.