Method and system for securing data utilizing redundant secure key storage

• US 8,144,866 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Randell, Jerrold R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Minh
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, VENKATANARAY
• Application Number:
  US12/693,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20100119065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1415 at system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• 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: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation

Abstract

A system and method which protects a data processing system against encryption key errors by providing redundant encryption keys stored in different locations, and providing the software with the ability to select an alternate redundant key if there is any possibility that the encryption key being used may be corrupted. In the preferred embodiment, a memory control module in the data processing device is configured to accommodate the storage of multiple (for example up to four or more) independent password/key pairs, and the control module duplicates a password key at the time of creation. The redundant passwords and encryption keys are forced into different memory slots for later retrieval if necessary. The probability of redundant keys being corrupted simultaneously is infinitesimal, so the system and method of the invention ensures that there is always an uncorrupted encryption key available.

Claims

1. A data processing device, comprising:

an encryption device for encrypting and decrypting data using an encryption key;

a key generating device adapted to generate a first encryption key associated with a first password using the first password, a first key seed, and a current key, and to generate a second encryption key associated with a second password, wherein the first encryption key is used to encrypt or decrypt a first set of data, and wherein the second encryption key is used to encrypt or decrypt a second set of data; and

at least one memory adapted to store the first set of data and the second set of data.

2. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein the key generating device is further adapted to generate at least one redundant encryption key corresponding to the first encryption key by generating said at least one redundant encryption key from the first password, the first key seed, and the current key, and wherein one of the at least one redundant encryption key is used to encrypt or decrypt the first set of data upon occurrence of a particular event.

3. The data processing device of claim 2, wherein the particular event is selected from one of:

a determination that the first encryption key may be corrupted;

detection of a faulty data signature;

or

detection of a faulty javascript execution.

4. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein the key generating device is adapted to generate the second encryption key from the second password, a second key seed, and a current key.

5. The data processing device of claim 1, further comprising an EEPROM memory adapted to store the first encryption key and the second encryption key.

6. The data processing device of claim 5, wherein the key generating device is comprised in an EEPROM control block in communication with the EEPROM memory.

7. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second encryption keys is associated with a different type of data.

8. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein the first set of data comprises one of private system data, data associated with a software application, email data, or appointment data, and the second set of data comprises a different one of private system data, data associated with a software application, email data, or appointment data.

9. The data processing device of claim 1, wherein the data processing device is comprised in a mobile communication device.

10. A data processing device, comprising:

means adapted to encrypt and decrypt data using an encryption key;

means adapted to generate a first encryption key for a first set of data, the first encryption key being associated with a first password and being generated from the first password, a first key seed, and a current key, and to generate a second encryption key for a second set of data, the second encryption key being associated with a second password and being generated from the second password, a second key seed, and the current key; and

means adapted to store the first encryption key and the associated first password, the second encryption key and the second associated password, the first set of data, and the second set of data.

11. The data processing device of claim 10, further comprising means adapted to generate at least one redundant encryption key corresponding to the first encryption key by generating said at least one redundant encryption key from the first password, the first key seed, and the current key, wherein one of the at least one redundant encryption key is used to encrypt or decrypt the first set of data upon occurrence of a particular event.

12. The data processing device of claim 11, wherein the particular event is selected from one of:

a determination that the first encryption key may be corrupted;

detection of a faulty data signature;

or

detection of a faulty javascript execution.

13. The data processing device of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second encryption keys is associated with a different type of data.

14. The data processing device of claim 10, wherein the first set of data comprises one of private system data, data associated with a software application, email data, or appointment data, and the second set of data comprises a different one of private system data, data associated with a software application, email data, or appointment data.