Method for secure key production
First Claim
1. A method of producing a secure slave key at each of an agent system and a manager system connected by an unsecured digital computer network comprising the steps of:
- providing a master key which is known by both a manager and an agent,sending a request for an unpredictable number from the manager to the agent using the digital computer network,receiving the request for the unpredictable number at the agent,generating the unpredictable number at the agent,sending the unpredictable number from the agent to the manager using the digital computer network,receiving the unpredictable number at the manager,producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the manager, andproducing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the agent.
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Abstract
A method for exchanging a secure slave key between an agent and a manager which are connected by an unsecured digital computer network. A master key is provided, which is known to both the manager and the agent. The manager sends a request for an unpredictable number across the digital computer network to the agent. The agent receives the request and generates the unpredictable number, which is sent back to the manager across the digital computer network. The manager receives the unpredictable number, and uses it and the master key to produce a slave key. The agent likewise uses the unpredictable number and the master key to produce the slave key. In this manner, identical slave keys have been produced at both of the manager and the agent sites, without having to send the slave key across the unsecured digital computer network.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of producing a secure slave key at each of an agent system and a manager system connected by an unsecured digital computer network comprising the steps of:
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providing a master key which is known by both a manager and an agent, sending a request for an unpredictable number from the manager to the agent using the digital computer network, receiving the request for the unpredictable number at the agent, generating the unpredictable number at the agent, sending the unpredictable number from the agent to the manager using the digital computer network, receiving the unpredictable number at the manager, producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the manager, and producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of producing a secure slave key at each of an agent system and a manager system connected by an unsecured digital computer network comprising the steps of:
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providing a master key which is known by both a manager and an agent, sending a request for an unpredictable number from the manager to the agent using the digital computer network, receiving the request for the unpredictable number at the agent, generating the unpredictable number at the agent, sending the unpredictable number from the agent to the manager using the digital computer network, receiving the unpredictable number at the manager, producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the manager, producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the agent, transforming the slave key using an invertible function and a desired slave key to produce a delta slave key at the manager, sending the delta slave key from the manager to the agent using the digital computer network, receiving the delta slave key at the agent, and transforming the slave key using the invertible function and the delta slave key to produce the desired slave key at the agent.
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7. A method of exchanging information between a first computer and a second computer connected by an unsecured digital computer network comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a master key which is known by both the first computer and the second computer, b) sending a request for an unpredictable number from the first computer to the second computer via the unsecured digital computer network, c) receiving the request for the unpredictable number at the second computer, d) generating the unpredictable number at the second computer, e) sending the unpredictable number from the second computer to the first computer via the unsecured digital computer network, f) receiving the unpredictable number at the first computer, g) producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the first computer, h) producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the second computer, i) encoding at least a portion of the information in the second computer using the slave key, j) sending the encoded information from the second computer to the first computer via the unsecured digital computer network, k) receiving the encoded information at the first computer, and decoding the encoded information in the first computer using the slave key. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of exchanging information between a first computer and a second computer connected by an unsecured digital computer network comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a master key which is known by both the first computer and the second computer, b) sending a request for an unpredictable number from the first computer to the second computer via the unsecured digital computer network, c) receiving the request for the unpredictable number at the second computer, d) generating the unpredictable number at the second computer, e) sending the unpredictable number from the second computer to the first computer via the unsecured digital computer network, f) receiving the unpredictable number at the first computer, g) producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the first computer, h) producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the second computer, i) transforming the slave key using an invertible function and a desired slave key to produce a delta slave key at the first computer, j) sending the delta slave key from the first computer to the second computer using the digital computer network, k) receiving the delta slave key at the second computer, l) transforming the slave key using the invertible function and the delta slave key to produce the desired slave key at the second computer, m) using the desired slave key in place of the slave key for the subsequent steps of the method, n) encoding at least a portion of the information in the second computer using the slave key, o) sending the encoded information from the second computer to the first computer via the unsecured digital computer network, p) receiving the encoded information at the first computer, and q) decoding the encoded information in the first computer using the slave key. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of exchanging information comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a manager residing on a computer, b) providing an agent residing on a computer, c) providing a digital computer network between the manager and the agent, d) providing a master key which is known by both the manager and the agent, e) sending a request for an unpredictable number from the manager to the agent via the digital computer network, f) receiving the request for the unpredictable number at the agent, g) generating the unpredictable number at the agent, h) sending the unpredictable number from the agent to the manager via the digital computer network, i) receiving the unpredictable number at the manager, j) producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the manager, k) producing the slave key using the unpredictable number and the master key at the agent, l) encoding at least a portion of the information in the agent using the slave key, m) sending the encoded information from the agent to the manager via the digital computer network, n) receiving the encoded information at the manager, and o) decoding the encoded information in the manager using the slave key. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification