System for securing electronic mail

• US 6,745,231 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trend Micro Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Megiddo, Nimrod
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/634,547
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/238, 713/200, 713/201, 713/151, 713/152, 713/153, 380/33, 380/28, 380/255, 380/268
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

Encrypted e-mails that reside in e-mail service providers servers or a gateway machines can be compromised and deciphered with advances in technology for breaking encryption codes. Significant security can be achieved by encrypting the message, splitting message, and transmitting the individual fragments via a set of unique e-mail servers. At the receivers end, the message can be reconstructed from the individual pieces and then decrypted and displayed to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of providing secure e-mail transmissions comprising:

receiving entered textual message(s);

identifying at least two unique e-mail domains associated with each of a sender and a recipient;

splitting the message into at least two fragments;

connecting to said at least two unique e-mail service providers;

forwarding each of the message fragments via a separate one of said unique e-mail service providers;

receiving said message fragments from all the identified unique e-mail service providers;

recombining the received message fragments, and

displaying the recombined message to the recipient.

2. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein said method is performed remote from said at least two unique e-mail providers.

3. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein the message is split into three or more unique fragments.

4. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein the message is sent via three or more unique e-mail service providers.

5. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein said combining step further comprises analyzing and matching the received message fragments.

6. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 5, wherein said analyzing and matching of said message fragments is based on a code word given in a subject of messages to be matched.

7. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 5, wherein said analyzing and matching of said message fragments is based on analyzing various resulting re-combined texts.

8. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein said means for connecting to e-mail service providers is accomplished via LANs, WANs, cellular, Internet, or Web-based networks.

9. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein said recombined message is displayed via a graphical user interface shown in an CRT, monitor or television.

10. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein said method further comprises of encrypting the message prior to the step of splitting.

11. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 1, wherein said step of recombining the received message fragments further comprises of decrypting the recombined message.

12. A system of providing secure e-mail transmissions comprising:

a first interface, said interface receiving entered textual message(s);

an identifier, identifying at least two unique e-mail domains associated with each of a sender and a recipient;

a splitter, said splitter receiving said encrypted message and splitting the encrypted message into at least two fragments;

a sender, said sender sending said message fragments to a receiver via a separate one of said identified unique providers, said receiver receiving said message fragments from all the identified unique e-mail service providers;

a recombiner, combining the received message fragments; and

a second interface, displaying the recombined message.

13. A system of providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 12, wherein said system further comprises:

an encryptor, said encryptor encrypting the message received via said first interface, and a decryptor, decrypting the recombined message.

14. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions comprising the steps of:

receiving entered textual message(s) as a string of characters;

encoding each of said characters with an integer, c, whose numerical value is between 0 and 255;

picking k random integers r1, . . . , rk whose numerical values are between 0 and 255;

placing characters coded by r1 through rk in message fragments M1 through Mk respectively;

sending message fragments M1 through Mk via e-mail service providers EMSPA1 through EMSPAk;

calculating a q'"'"'s by q=(c-r1−

. . . −

rk)(MOD

     256);

placing characters coded by g'"'"'s in said value q in a message fragment Mk+1; and

sending message fragment Mk+1 via e-mail service provider EMSPAk+1.

15. A method for providing secure e-mail transmissions as per claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving message fragments M1 through Mk via e-mail service providers EMSPB1 through EMSPBk;

extracting r'"'"'s from message fragments M1 through Mk;

receiving message fragment Mk+1 through e-mail service provider EMSPBk+1;

extracting q'"'"'s from encoded characters;

calculating c'"'"'s by c=(r1+ . . . +rk+q) (MOD

     256);

decoding c'"'"'s into characters, and

reconstructing e-mail message from said decoded characters.

18. An article of manufacture comprising a computer user medium having computer readable code embodied therein which secures e-mail transmissions as per claim 14, wherein said medium further comprises:

computer readable program code receiving message fragments M1 through Mk via e-mail service providers EMSPB1 through EMSPBk;

computer readable program code extracting r'"'"'s from message fragments M1 through Mk;

computer readable program code receiving message fragment Mk+1 through e-mail service provider EMSPBk+1;

computer readable program code extracting q'"'"'s from encoded characters;

computer readable program code calculating c'"'"'s by c=(r1+ . . . +rk+q) (MOD

     256);

computer readable program code decoding c'"'"'s into characters, and

computer readable program code reconstructing e-mail message from said decoded characters.

16. An article of manufacture comprising a computer user medium having computer readable code embodied therein which secures electronic mail, said system comprising:

computer readable program code receiving entered textual message;

computer readable program code identifying at least two unique e-mail domains associated with each the sender and the recipient;

computer readable program code encrypting the message;

computer readable program code splitting the encrypted message into at least two fragments;

computer readable program code connecting to at least two unique e-mail service providers;

computer readable program code forwarding each of the message fragments via a separate one of said unique e-mail service providers;

computer readable program code receiving message fragments from all the identified e-mail service providers;

computer readable program code analyzing and matching the received message fragments;

computer readable program code combining the matched message fragments;

computer readable program code decrypting the combined message, and

computer readable program code displaying the decrypted message.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer user medium having computer readable code embodied therein which secures e-mail transmissions, said medium comprising:

computer readable program receiving entered textual message(s) as a string of characters;

computer readable program code encoding each of said characters with an integer, c, whose numerical value is between 0 and 255;

computer readable program code picking k random integers r1, . . . , rk whose numerical values are between 0 and 255;

computer readable program code placing characters coded by r1 through rk in message fragments M1 through Mk respectively;

computer readable program code sending message fragments M1 through Mk via e-mail service providers EMSPA1 through EMSPAk;

computer readable program code calculating q'"'"'s by q=(c-r1−

. . . −

rk)(MOD

     256);

computer readable program code placing characters coded by q'"'"'s in said value q in a message fragment Mk+1; and

computer readable program code sending message fragment Mk+1 via e-mail service provider EMSPAk+1.