Automated electronic messaging encryption system

• US 7,644,268 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalCerts, LLC
• Original Assignee: GlobalCerts, LC
• Inventors: Filipi-Martin, Adrian, Hope, Brian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US11/825,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 713/153
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• 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 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A system and method of automating the management of public and private key pairs of a sender and recipient of electronic messages over a network and for retrieving public keys of senders or recipients from secured servers, local key rings, PKI server, or Certificate Authority without requiring client-side software or user maintenance.

Claims

1. An automated encryption system for decrypting an encrypted electronic message from a sender to a recipient comprising:

a computer readable medium in communications with a network port for accessing a set of public key data; and

,

a set of private key data embodied within said computer readable medium having a private key associated with the recipient;

a set of computer readable key maintenance instructions embodied within said computer readable medium for creating a key pair having a public key and a private key associated with the recipient, storing said public key within the set of public key data via said network port, storing said private key within said set of private key data, and, deleting said key pair to prevent the recipient from decrypting messages so that an automated key management system is provided for automatically managing key pairs of recipients; and

,

a set of computer readable decryption instructions embodied within said computer readable medium for;

receiving said encrypted electronic message from the sender to the recipient, retrieving said private key associated with the recipient from said set of private key data, decrypting said encrypted electronic message according to said private key, and, providing said encrypted electronic message to the recipient upon being decrypted so that the recipient automatically retrieves and decrypts said encrypted electronic encrypted message without providing said encryption system with any additional input.

2. The system of claim 1 including:

a network port in communication with said computer readable medium for accessing a set of public key data having a public key associated with the sender;

a set of computer readable message verification instructions embodied within said computer readable medium for;

receiving said encrypted electronic message having a digital signature associated with the sender,

retrieving said public key associated with the sender from said digital signature, validating said encrypted electronic message according to said digital signature to provide validation information, and,

providing the resulting validation information to the recipient so that the recipient can be notified as to the authenticity of said encrypted electronic message received from the sender.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said set of computer readable key maintenance instructions include instructions for:

receiving a password from the sender, and,

encrypting said private key associated with the recipient so that said private key cannot be used to decrypt messages without supplying an access attempt matching said password.

4. A computerized system for encrypting an electronic message from a sender to a recipient comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a set of computer readable encryption instructions embodied within said computer readable medium for;

generating a set of private key data embodied within said computer readable medium having a public key and a private key associated with the sender;

storing said public key within the set of public key data,

storing said private key within said set of private key data

receiving an electronic message from a sender;

retrieving said public key associated with the sender;

encrypting said electronic message according to said public key associated with the sender;

forwarding said electronic message upon being encrypted to the recipient for subsequent decryption and retrieval by the recipient;

encrypting said private key associated with the sender according to a password supplied by the sender;

receiving an access attempt from the recipient to decrypt said private key according to said password;

validating said access attempt according to said password so that said electronic message is not decrypted unless said access attempt is valid and;

deleting said key pair to prevent the recipient from decrypting messages.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said set of set of computer readable encryption instructions includes instructions for:

receiving an encrypted electronic message from the sender to the recipient;

obtaining said private key associated with the sender;

decrypting said encrypted electronic message from the sender to the recipient so that the recipient can receive and decrypt an encrypted message without using one of a public key and private key associated with the recipient.

6. The system of claim 4 including:

a digital signature associated with the sender contained within said computer readable medium; and

,

instructions embodied in said computer readable medium for signing said electronic message with said digital signature.

7. The system of claim 4 including instructions for:

receiving an electronic message having a digital signature associated with the sender; and

,

verifying the authenticity of said electronic message according to said digital signature so that the recipient is informed that said electronic message originated from the sender.

8. An automated encryption system for decrypting an encrypted electronic message from a sender to a recipient comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a set of computer readable decryption instructions embodied within said computer readable medium for;

generating a set of encrypted private key data embodied within said computer readable medium having an encrypted private key associated with the recipient encrypted according to a password supplied by the sender;

receiving said encrypted electronic message from the sender to the recipient,

receiving an access attempt from the recipient to decrypt said encrypted private key according to said password; and

,

validating said access attempt according to said password so that said encrypted electronic message is not decrypted unless said access attempt matches said password; and

,

decrypting said electronic message according to said encrypted private key if said access attempt input matches said password.