System and method for providing security via a top level domain

• US 8,037,298 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Park Avenue Capital LLC
• Original Assignee: Park Avenue Capital LLC
• Inventors: Finlay, Scott Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers; Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/012,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 713/152
• US Class Current: 713/152
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for providing end-to-end security for communications between registered clients of a top level domain without the need for further encryption/decryption protocols than those provided by said at least one of said plurality of secure communication links and said at least one secure message server. Clients registered with the top level domain are assigned at least one email and IM account and to ensure message security, are required to communicate with other registered others strictly via the assigned email and IM accounts. In this manner, non-registered users are denied secure access to the top level domain. In one embodiment, registered clients of the top-level domain may communicate with non-registered users via a gateway server in a secure or non-secure manner, as is the option of the registered client (sender).

Claims

1. A method for conducting secure messaging between at least two clients registered with a top-level domain, the method comprising:

creating an email message to be securely transmitted from a first client registered with the top-level domain to a second client registered with said top-level domain;

transmitting the email message over a first secure communication link from said first client to a secure message server of the top-level domain;

re-transmitting the message from the secure message server, via a second secure communication link to said second client,

wherein said secure messaging between said first registered client and said second registered client is achieved without the need for further encryption/decryption protocols than those provided by said first and second secure communication links and said at least one secure message server, and

wherein registration comprises assigning an Email and an IM address associated with the top-level domain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second secure communication link are selected in accordance with one of a plurality of secure protocols selected from the group consisting of:

simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) over secure socket layer (SSL) protocol, Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) over secure socket layer (SSL) protocol, and post office protocol (POP) over secure socket layer (SSL) protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the email message is created from a desktop of the first client and received at a desktop of the second client.

4. A method for conducting secure IM messaging between at two registered clients of a top-level domain, the method comprising:

a) creating an IM message to be transmitted securely from said first client to said second client;

b) encrypting the created IM message at said first client using said first client encryption key;

c) transmitting the IM message over a first secure communication link to said secure IM message server;

d) decrypting the IM message at the secure message server using said first client encryption key;

e) re-encrypting the IM message at the secure message server using said second client encryption key;

f) transmitting the re-encrypted message from the secure message server, via a second secure communication link to said second client;

g) a first registered client authenticating himself to an IM secure message server associated with the top-level domain, prior to said step (a); and

h) a second registered client authenticating himself to said secure IM message server, prior to said step (b),

wherein authentication is a pre-requisite to sending IM messages between said two registered clients, and

wherein authentication must be re-established between said first client and said IM secure message server and said second client and said IM secure message server after a prescribed time period has elapsed.