Method for authenticating and verifying SMS communications

• US 7,702,898 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wireless Applications Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Wireless Applications Pty Limited
• Inventors: Tan, Clarence Nyap
• Primary Examiner(s): Korzuch, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moorthy, Aravind K
• Application Number:
  US10/513,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20060098678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713/160, 713/165, 713/168, 380/247, 380/255, 380/270, 380/28
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/061 applying further key derivation, e.g. deriving traffic keys from a pair-wise master key cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords H04L9/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method for operating a first computational device to facilitate the secure transfer of a message between the first computation device and a second computational device is described. The method comprises operating the first computational device according to the following steps: forming an encrypted message from the message on the basis of a key derived from one or more codes associated with the second computational device; transmitting the encrypted message to the second computational device; purging the message and the encrypted message from the first computational device; receiving the encrypted message and said one or more codes from the second computational device; upon decrypting the message on the basis of the one or more codes transmitting the decrypted message to the second computational device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the secure transfer of a message between a first computational device and a second computational device, the steps comprising:

encrypting an initial message existing within the first computational device to create an encrypted message on the basis of a key derived from one or more codes associated with the second computational device;

transmitting the encrypted message to the second computational device;

purging the initial message within the first computational device;

purging the encrypted message from the first computational device;

inputting one or more codes into the second computational device based upon the encrypted message;

transmitting one or more codes and the encrypted message to the first computational device;

decrypting the message by the first computational device on the basis of the one or more codes sent from the second computational device; and

transmitting the decrypted message to the second computational device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first computational device comprises a computer network server in communication with a cellular telephone network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the initial message originates at a content sender in the form of a personal computer connected to the first computational device by means of a network.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the network is an Internet.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein, the first computational device may comprises a cellular phone or a wireless personal digital assistant.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second computational device comprises a cellular phone.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the step of encrypting an initial message involves forming the key based upon a cellular phone number and a personal identification number to be used by an owner of the cellular phone.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting the encrypted message to the cellular phone included transmitting a message identifier that is associated with the encrypted message.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the cellular phone transmits both the encrypted message and the message identifier back to the first computational means.

10. A method according to claim 8, further including the step of a first computational device generating an error code if the message identifier is not received back from the cellular phone within a predetermined time period.

11. A method according to claim 7 wherein the one or more codes include a PIN and CLI associated with the cellular phone.

12. A method according to claim 11, where in the first computational means checks the PIN and CLI for consistency in length and/or field type.

13. A method according to claim 1, further including a step of sending an error status message to a content sender advising of any error conditions.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein two-way authentication between he first computational device and the second computational device is provided, the method further including a step of encrypting the message with a private key of the first computational means and a public key of the second computational means.

15. A method for secure data transfer, between a content sender and a receiver, the steps comprising:

generating a data packet including a message from the content sender;

transmitting the data packet to a security server;

assigning a message identifier to the data packet received by the security server;

storing the message identifier for the data packet in the security server;

generating an encryption key for the message;

encrypting the message using the encryption key created by the security server;

generating a data package, wherein the data package includes the encrypted message and the message identifier;

transmitting the data package to the receiver;

purging the message and the encrypted message from the security server;

entering a plurality of codes into the receiver in response to receipt of the data package;

transmitting the encrypted message and the plurality of codes to the security server by the receiver;

validating the plurality of codes transmitted within the security server;

decrypting the encrypted message to form the message;

transmitting the message to the receiver.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data packet includes a PIN number and a telephone number associated with the receiver.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the data package further includes a text message which is displayed on the receiver as a request to enter a PIN number associated with the receiver.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the security server includes a clock that records a time at which a message comprising the message identifier was transmitted to the receiver.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising a step of generating a decryption key to decrypt the encrypted message after transmission of the plurality of codes from the receiver to the security server.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of generating a status message for transmission to the content sender after transmission of the decrypted message to the receiver.