AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF INVALID PARTICIPANTS IN A SECURE SYNCHRONIZATION SYSTEM

• US 20160359965A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Murphy, Richard F., Sierra, Yannick L., Whalley, Andrew R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,079,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method of identifying invalid participants in a synchronization group. The method generates a device synchronization group identifier (DSGI) for a first device from a device-specific key of the first device. The method joins the first device in the synchronization group by using the DSGI of the first device. Prior to the joining of the first device, the synchronization group stores a set of DSGIs of a set of devices that have joined the synchronization group. The method determines that a particular DSGI stored in the synchronization group is the same as the DSGI of the first device. The method identifies the particular DSGI stored in the synchronization group as a DSGI of an invalid participant of the synchronization group.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for identifying invalid participants in a synchronization group for synchronizing keychains of a set of peer devices, the program executable by at least one processing unit of a first peer device in the set of peer devices, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

generating a device synchronization group identifier for the first peer device from a device-specific identifier of the first peer device;

joining the first peer device in the synchronization group using the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device, wherein prior to said joining of the first peer device, the synchronization group stores a set of device synchronization group identifiers of a set of peer devices that joined the synchronization group;

determining that a particular device synchronization group identifier in the set of device synchronization group identifiers stored in the synchronization group is a same as the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device; and

identifying a device associated with the particular device synchronization group identifier as a non-participant member of the synchronization group.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for generating the device synchronization group identifier for the first device comprises sets of instructions for:

deriving a cryptographic key from the device-specific identifier of the first peer device using a key derivation function; and

generating the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device from the derived cryptographic key.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the device-specific identifier is a persistent hardware identifier of the first peer device.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for generating the device synchronization group identifier for the first peer device comprises a set of instructions for using a hash-based cryptographic function to generate the device synchronization group identifier.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, the program further comprising a set of instructions for removing information stored in the synchronization group for the non participant member.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the device-specific identifier of the first peer device can be used to track an owner of the first peer device or an account associated with the first peer device, wherein the device synchronization group identifier cannot be used to track an owner of the first peer device or an account associated with the first peer device.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the particular device synchronization group identifier identified as a device synchronization group identifier of a non participant member of the synchronization group is a device synchronization group identifier used by the first peer device for a prior joining in the synchronization group.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the device synchronization group identifier is a message authentication code.

9. A method of identifying invalid participants in a synchronization group for synchronizing keychains of a set of peer devices comprising a first peer device, the method comprising:

generating a device synchronization group identifier for the first peer device from a device-specific identifier of the first peer device;

joining the first peer device in the synchronization group using the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device, wherein prior to said joining of the first peer device, the synchronization group stores a set of device synchronization group identifiers of a set of peer devices that joined the synchronization group;

determining that a particular device synchronization group identifier in the set of device synchronization group identifiers stored in the synchronization group is a same as the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device; and

identifying a device associated with the particular device synchronization group identifier as a non-participant member of the synchronization group.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the device synchronization group identifier for the first device comprises:

deriving a cryptographic key from the device-specific identifier of the first peer device using a key derivation function; and

generating the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device from the derived cryptographic key.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the device-specific identifier is a persistent hardware identifier of the first peer device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the device synchronization group identifier for the first peer device comprises using a hash-based cryptographic function to generate the device synchronization group identifier.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising removing information stored in the synchronization group for the non participant member.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the device-specific identifier of the first peer device can be used to track an owner of the first peer device or an account associated with the first peer device, wherein the device synchronization group identifier cannot be used to track an owner of the first peer device or an account associated with the first peer device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular device synchronization group identifier identified as a device synchronization group identifier of a non participant member of the synchronization group is a device synchronization group identifier used by the first peer device for a prior joining in the synchronization group.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the device synchronization group identifier is a message authentication code.

17. A first peer device comprising:

a set of processing units; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for identifying invalid participants in a synchronization group for synchronizing keychains of a set of peer devices, the program executable by at least one of the processing units, the program comprising sets of instructions for;

generating a device synchronization group identifier for the first peer device from a device-specific identifier of the first peer device;

joining the first peer device in the synchronization group using the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device, wherein prior to said joining of the first peer device, the synchronization group stores a set of device synchronization group identifiers of a set of peer devices that joined the synchronization group;

determining that a particular device synchronization group identifier in the set of device synchronization group identifiers stored in the synchronization group is a same as the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device; and

identifying a device associated with the particular device synchronization group identifier as a non-participant member of the synchronization group.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the set of instructions for generating the device synchronization group identifier for the first device comprises sets of instructions for:

deriving a cryptographic key from the device-specific identifier of the first peer device using a key derivation function; and

generating the device synchronization group identifier of the first peer device from the derived cryptographic key.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the device-specific identifier is a persistent hardware identifier of the first peer device.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the set of instructions for generating the device synchronization group identifier for the first peer device comprises a set of instructions for using a hash-based cryptographic function to generate the device synchronization group identifier.

21. The device of claim 17, the program further comprising a set of instructions for removing information stored in the synchronization group for the non participant member.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the device-specific identifier of the first peer device can be used to track an owner of the first peer device or an account associated with the first peer device, wherein the device synchronization group identifier cannot be used to track an owner of the first peer device or an account associated with the first peer device.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the particular device synchronization group identifier identified as a device synchronization group identifier of a non participant member of the synchronization group is a device synchronization group identifier used by the first peer device for a prior joining in the synchronization group.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the device synchronization group identifier is a message authentication code.