Localized network authentication and security using tamper-resistant keys

• US 8,301,891 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KoolSpan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KoolSpan, Inc.
• Inventors: Fascenda, Anthony C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US12/942,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/172
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

The invention provides a secure Wi-Fi communications method and system. In an embodiment of the invention, unique physical keys, or tokens, are installed at an access point and each client device of the network. Each key comprises a unique serial number and a common network send cryptographic key and a common network receive cryptographic key used only during the authentication phase by all components on the LAN. Each client key further includes a secret cryptographic key unique to each client device. During authentication, two random numbers are generated per communications session and are known by both sides of the wireless channel. Only the random numbers are sent across the wireless channel and in each case these numbers are encrypted. A transposed cryptographic key is derived from the unique secret cryptographic key using the random numbers generated during authentication. Thus, both sides of the wireless channel know the transposed cryptographic key without it ever being transmitted between the two.

Claims

1. A method for remote provisioning of a cryptographic key database file on an access point computing device on a communications network also including a host computing device having a cryptographic key database stored thereon and one or more client computing devices, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting the access point computing device;

authenticating the selected access point computing device;

obtaining an access point identifier associated with the selected access point computing device;

obtaining from the cryptographic key database, an access point cryptographic secret key associated with said access point identifier and the cryptographic key database;

constructing the cryptographic key database file, wherein the cryptographic key database file comprises one or more client identifiers associated with the respective one or more client computing devices, and one or more client key cryptographic secret keys associated with cryptographic keys of the respective client computing devices;

encrypting the cryptographic key database file using the access point cryptographic secret key; and

receiving the encrypted cryptographic key database file at the selected access point computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic keys are public/private cryptographic keys.