System and method for updating message trust status

• US 7,509,120 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael K., Brown, Michael S., Little, Herbert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari; Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US10/934,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 379/161, 379/184, 379/168, 380247-250
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/72 Signcrypting, i.e. digital signing and encrypting simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3265 using certificate chains, trees or paths; Hierarchical trust model

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing encoded messages within a wireless communications system are disclosed. A server within the wireless communications system performs signature verification of an encoded message and provides, together with the message, an indication to the mobile device that the message has been verified. In addition, the server provides supplemental information, such as, for example, a hash of the certificate or certificate chain used to verify the message, to the device, to enable the device to perform additional checks on the certificate, such as, for example, validity checks, trust checks, strength checks, or the like.

Claims

1. A method for processing encoded messages comprising:

receiving an encoded message at a server;

processing said encoded message to verify a signature of the encoded message at said server and providing an indication of a result of said processing and the received message to a device for which the encoded message is intended;

providing supplemental information relating to verification of the signature from said server to said device; and

processing said supplemental information at said device to derive additional security information to certify authenticity of the message

wherein said supplemental information includes a hash of a certificate used to sign the encoded message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said supplemental information includes a hash of a certificate chain including the certificate used to sign the encoded message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processing of said supplemental information comprises looking up the certificate used to sign the message and performing additional checks based on the certificate used to sign the message.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said processing of said supplemental information comprises looking up at least one of the certificate and certificate chain used to sign the message and performing additional checks based on the certificate used to sign the message.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said additional checks include validity checks, trust checks and/or strength checks.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said additional checks include validity checks, trust checks and/or strength checks.

7. A system for verifying encoded electronic messages, comprising:

a server for receiving an encoded message intended for a mobile device; and

program logic resident on said server for processing said encoded message at said server to verify a signature appended to said received message, providing an indication of a result of said processing of the received message and the received message to said mobile and providing supplemental information relating to verification of the signature from said server to said mobile device; and

wherein said wireless communications device includes program logic for processing said supplemental information to derive additional information to certify authenticity of the message, and to provide checks associated with said signature;

wherein said supplemental information includes a hash of a certificate used to sign the encoded message.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said supplemental information includes a hash of a certificate chain including the certificate used to sign the encoded message.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said processing of said supplemental information comprises looking up the certificate used to sign the message and performing additional checks based on the certificate used to sign the message.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said processing of said supplemental information comprises looking up the certificate and/or certificate chain used to sign the message and performing additional checks based on the certificate used to sign the message.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said additional checks include at least one of validity checks, trust checks, and strength checks.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said additional checks include at least one of validity checks trust checks, and strength checks.

13. A system for verifying encoded electronic messages comprising:

a server;

a mobile wireless communications device;

means for receiving an encoded electronic message at said server, the encoded message being intended for said mobile wireless communications device; and

means for processing said received message at said server to verify a signature appended to said received message, for providing an indication of a result of said processing of the received message to said mobile wireless communications device and for providing supplemental information relating to verification of the signature from said server to said wireless mobile communications device;

said mobile wireless communications device including program logic for processing said supplemental information to derive additional information to certify authenticity of the message, and to provide checks associated with said signature;

wherein said supplemental information includes a hash of a certificate used to sign the encoded message.

14. A method for processing encoded messages comprising:

sending supplemental information associated with an encoded electronic message from a server to a mobile device, the supplemental information including a hash of a certificate or certificate chain used to sign the encoded message; and

processing said supplemental information by said mobile device to determine the certificate used to sign the message and performing additional checks on said certificate to certify authenticity of the message.

15. A method for processing encoded messages comprising:

receiving an encoded message at a server;

processing said encoded message at said server to verify the encoded message and providing an indication of a result of said processing and the received message to a device for which the encoded message is intended;

providing supplemental information of said message from said server to said device, said supplemental information including a hash of a certificate used to sign the encoded message; and

processing, at said device, said supplemental information to look up the certificate used to sign the encoded message, to certify authenticity of the message, and to update trust status of said message based on information contained in the certificate.