Apparatus and method for providing secured communications

• US 6,292,892 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Derek L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/526,301
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155, 713/156, 713/159, 713/168, 713/169, 713/175, 713/185, 713/193, 380/255, 380/258, 380/277
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method to provide reliable electronic distribution of information between a first system and a second system remotely located from the first system coupled together by a communication link. The method comprises storing a public key, a private key, and signed key parameters in a semiconductor device associated with the first system. The signed key parameters are output from the semiconductor device to the second system via the communication link. Then, the first system is authenticated by the second system; and the information is transmitted from the second system to the first system, provided the first system is authenticated.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring secured communications between a system employing a hardware agent and a remote system, the method comprising:

establishing a communication link between the hardware agent and the remote system;

transmitting a message from the remote system to the system;

outputting a unique digital certificate from the system to the remote system;

returning a response to the message, the response encrypted with a private key associated with the hardware agent;

decrypting the digital certificate to obtain a public key associated with the hardware agent;

decrypting the response with the public key associated with the hardware agent; and

maintaining communications if the response is identical to that expected by the remote system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique digital certificate comprises a device certificate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital certificate comprises a second level certificate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises terminating communications if the response received from the system differs from that expected by the remote system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes a random data sequence.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes transmission of additional key data between the system and the remote system.

7. A method for ensuring secured communications between a system employing a hardware agent and a remote system, the method comprising:

establishing a communication link between the hardware agent and the remote system;

outputting a unique digital certificate from the system to the remote system;

decrypting the digital certificate to obtain a public key associated with the hardware agent;

transmitting a message from the remote system to the system;

returning a response to the message, the response encrypted with a private key associated with the hardware agent;

decrypting the response with the public key associated with the hardware agent; and

maintaining communications if the response is identical to that expected by the remote system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the unique digital certificate comprises a device certificate.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the unique digital certificate comprises a second level certificate.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the method further comprises terminating communications if the response received from the system differs from that expected by the remote system.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the message includes a random data sequence.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the method further includes transmission of additional key data between the system and the remote system.

13. A method to provide reliable electronic distribution of information between a first system and a second system remotely located from the first system coupled together by a communication link, the method comprising:

storing a public key, a private key, and signed key parameters in a semiconductor device associated with the first system;

outputting the signed key parameters from the semiconductor device to the second system via the communication link;

authenticating the first system by the second system; and

transmitting the information from the second system to the first system provided the first system is authenticated.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the signed key parameters comprise a unique digital certificate.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the digital certificate comprises a device certificate.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the digital certificate comprises a second level certificate.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises transmitting of additional key data between the system and the remote system.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the signed key parameters are signed with the private key.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the signed key parameters comprise a unique digital certificate.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the unique digital certificate comprises a device certificate.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the digital certificate comprises a second level certificate.

22. A method comprising:

establishing a communication link between a first system employing a hardware agent and a second system remotely located from the first system;

receiving a unique digital certificate from the first system by the second system;

recovering a public key associated with the hardware agent from the unique digital certificate;

outputting a message from the second system to the first system;

receiving a response to the message, the response being encrypted with a private key associated with the hardware agent;

decrypting the response with the public key associated with the hardware agent; and

maintaining communications if the response is identical to that expected by the second system.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the unique digital certificate comprises a device certificate.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the unique digital certificate comprises a second level certificate.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising terminating communications if the response received from the first system differs from that expected by the second system.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the message includes a random data sequence.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising transmitting additional key data between the first system and the second system.