Secure communication apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method for securing information comprisingreceiving encrypted information from a sender for transmission to at least one intended recipient, receiving information indicating a transfer protocol to use when sending the encrypted information to the at least one intended recipient, and receiving an encrypted secret key encrypted using a secure distribution server specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server;
- decrypting the encrypted secret key to produce a decrypted secret key;
obtaining a corresponding public key of the at least one intended recipient;
encrypting the decrypted secret key for the at least one intended recipient using a corresponding public key specific to the at least one intended recipient to produce at least one recipient specific secure secret key; and
forwarding, according to the information indicating the transfer protocol, the encrypted information sent by the sender and at least one recipient specific secure key to the at least one intended recipient.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus, such as a secure distribution server, receives encrypted information from a sender, wherein the encrypted information is for transmission to a plurality of intended recipients. In addition to the encrypted information, the method includes receiving an encrypted secret key that is encrypted using a public key associated with the secure distribution server. The method and apparatus decrypts the encrypted secret key to produce a decrypted secret key. The method and apparatus then encrypts the decrypted secret key with the corresponding public key of at least one (or each of a plurality of) intended recipient(s) to produce at least one (or plurality of) recipient-specific secure secret keys. The method and apparatus then forwards the received encrypted information sent by the sender and also sends at least one recipient-specific secure secret key to a corresponding intended recipient.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for securing information comprising
receiving encrypted information from a sender for transmission to at least one intended recipient, receiving information indicating a transfer protocol to use when sending the encrypted information to the at least one intended recipient, and receiving an encrypted secret key encrypted using a secure distribution server specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server; -
decrypting the encrypted secret key to produce a decrypted secret key; obtaining a corresponding public key of the at least one intended recipient; encrypting the decrypted secret key for the at least one intended recipient using a corresponding public key specific to the at least one intended recipient to produce at least one recipient specific secure secret key; and forwarding, according to the information indicating the transfer protocol, the encrypted information sent by the sender and at least one recipient specific secure key to the at least one intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for securing information comprising:
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receiving, by a secure distribution server, encrypted information for transmission to a plurality of intended recipients, receiving information indicating a transfer protocol to use when sending the encrypted information to the at least one intended recipient, and receiving an encrypted secret key encrypted using a secure distribution server specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server; decrypting, by the secure distribution server, the encrypted secret key to produce a decrypted secret key; obtaining, by the secure distribution server, a corresponding public key of at least one intended recipient; encrypting, by the secure distribution server, the decrypted secret key for the at least one intended recipient using a corresponding public key specific to the at least one intended recipient to produce a recipient specific secret key; and forwarding, by the secure distribution server, according to the information indicating the transfer protocol, the encrypted information and the recipient specific secure secret key to a corresponding intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A network element comprising:
one or more processing devices operative to; decrypt a received encrypted secret key encrypted using a secure distribution server specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server corresponding to the network element to produce a decrypted secret key; obtaining a corresponding public key of at least one intended recipient; encrypt the decrypted secret key for the at least one intended recipient using a corresponding public key specific to the at least one intended recipient to produce a recipient specific secure secret key; and forward, to the at least one intended recipient, the encrypted information sent by a sender, according to information specified by the sender which indicates a transfer protocol to use when sending the encrypted information, and at least one recipient specific secure secret key to the at least one intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A storage medium comprising:
memory containing executable instructions that when read by one or more processing devices, causes the one or more processing devices to; receive encrypted information from a sender for transmission to at least one intended recipient, receive information indicating a transfer protocol to use when sending the encrypted information to the at least one intended recipient, and receive an encrypted secret key encrypted using a secure distribution server specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server; decrypt the encrypted secret key to produce a decrypted secret key; obtained a corresponding public key of the at least one intended recipient specific to the at least one intended recipient; encrypt the decrypted secret key for the at least one intended recipient using the corresponding public key to produce a recipient specific secure secret key; and forward, according to the information indicating the transfer protocol, the encrypted information sent by the sender and the at least one recipient specific secure key to the at least one intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A secure communication system comprising:
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at least one sender that encrypts information with a secret key to produce encrypted information, encrypts the secret key with a secure distribution sever specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server associated with a network element to produce an encrypted secret key, and during an online session, sends the encrypted information and the encrypted secret key to the network element; at least one intended recipient; at least one network element, operatively coupled to the sender and to the at lest one intended recipient, including; one or more processing devices operative to; decrypt a received encrypted secret key encrypted using a secure distribution server specific public key of a public/private key pair specific to the secure distribution server corresponding to the network element to produce a decrypted secret key; obtaining a corresponding public key of at least one intended recipient; encrypt the decrypted secret key for the at least one intended recipient using a corresponding public key specific to the at least one intended recipient to produce a recipient specific secure secret key; and forward, to the at least one intended recipient, the encrypted information sent by a sender, according to information specified by the sender which indicates a transfer protocol to use when sending the encrypted information and at least one recipient specific secure secret key to the at least one intended recipient. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification