Portable secure element

• US 8,385,553 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jooste, Sarel Kobus, Joseph, John, Farmer, Shane Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US13/523,637
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 7, 726/9, 726 20- 21, 726 27- 30, 380/270, 380/277, 380/281, 380/284, 380/286, 713/155, 713/164, 713168-170, 713/182, 713/185, 713/189, 713193-194
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0877 using additional device, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard, USB or hardware security module [HSM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning

Abstract

Transferring control of a secure element between TSMs comprises a zone master key established between the TSMs that facilitates encryption of a temporary key. The TSMs create the zone master key prior to initiation of transfer of control. Once transfer of control is initiated, the first TSM establishes a communication channel and deletes its key from the secure element. The first TSM creates a temporary key that is encrypted with the zone master key established between the first TSM and the second TSM. The encrypted temporary key is communicated to the second TSM with a device identifier. The second TSM decrypts the temporary key using the zone master key and identifies the user device using the device identifier. The new TSM establishes a communication channel and deletes the temporary key from the secure element. The new TSM then inputs and saves its key into the secure element.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transferring control of a secure element, comprising:

creating, by a computer, a master key between a first trusted service manager (“

TSM”

) and a second TSM, wherein the master key facilitates a transfer of control of a secure element from the first TSM to the second TSM;

receiving, by the computer, a request to transfer control of the secure element from the first TSM to the second TSM;

initiating, by the computer, a secure communication channel with the secure element, wherein, the secure communication channel is established using an access key known by the first TSM that is resident on the secure element;

communicating, by the computer, an instruction to delete the access key from the secure element;

creating, by the computer, a temporary key;

communicating, by the computer, the temporary key to the secure element;

encrypting, by the computer, the temporary key using the master key established between the first TSM and the second TSM; and

communicating, by the computer, the encrypted temporary key to the second TSM for the second TSM to access the secure element.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer is a first secure service provider that operates the first TSM.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein creating the master key comprises:

generating, by the computer, a first part of the master key;

inputting, by the computer, the first part of the master key into a hardware security module resident on the first TSM;

generating, by the computer, a second part of the master key;

inputting, by the computer, the second part of the master key into the hardware security module resident on the first TSM;

assembling, by the computer, the first and second master key parts in the hardware security module resident on the first TSM; and

destroying, by the computer, the master key parts.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising terminating, by the computer, the secure communication channel with the secure element.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the computer, a user device identifier to the second TSM, wherein the user device identifier may be used by the second TSM to identify the secure element.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein communicating the encrypted temporary key to the second TSM for the second TSM to access the secure element comprises communicating the encrypted temporary key to a mediator TSM.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second TSM is the mediator TSM.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

decrypting, by the second TSM, the temporary key using the master key established between the first TSM and the second TSM;

initiating, by the second TSM, a secure communication channel with the secure element, wherein the secure communication channel is established using the temporary key decrypted by the second TSM;

deleting, by the second TSM, the temporary key from the secure element;

creating, by the mediator TSM, a second temporary key;

communicating, by the second TSM, the second temporary key to the secure element;

encrypting, by the mediator TSM, the second temporary key using a second master key established between the second TSM and a third TSM; and

communicating, by the mediator TSM, the encrypted second temporary key to the third TSM for the third TSM to access the secure element.

9. A computer-implemented method for transferring control of a secure element, comprising:

creating, by a computer, a first master key between a first trusted service manager (“

TSM”

) and a mediator TSM, wherein the first master key facilitates a transfer of control of a secure element from the first TSM to the mediator TSM;

creating, by a computer, a second master key between the mediator TSM and a second TSM, wherein the second master key facilitates a transfer of control of the secure element from the mediator TSM to the second TSM;

receiving, by the computer, a first temporary key from the first TSM to transfer control of the secure element from the first TSM to the mediator TSM, wherein the first temporary key is encrypted by the first master key established between the first TSM and the mediator TSM, and wherein the first temporary key has been saved on the secure element;

decrypting, by the computer, the first temporary key using the first master key established between the first TSM and the mediator TSM;

initiating, by the computer, a secure communication channel with the secure element, wherein the secure communication channel is established using the first temporary key decrypted by the mediator TSM;

communicating, by the computer, an instruction to delete the first temporary key from the secure element;

creating, by the computer, a second temporary key;

communicating, by the computer, the second temporary key to the secure element;

encrypting, by the computer, the second temporary key using the second master key established between the mediator TSM and the second TSM; and

communicating, by the computer, the encrypted second temporary key to the second TSM for the second TSM to access the secure element.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the computer is a mobile operating network that operates the mediator TSM.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein creating one of the first and second master keys comprises:

generating, by the computer, a first part of the master key;

inputting, by the computer, the first part of the master key into a hardware security module;

generating, by the computer, a second part of the master key;

inputting, by the computer, the second part of the master key into the hardware security module;

assembling, by the computer, the master key parts in the hardware security module; and

destroying, by the computer, the master key parts.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising terminating, by the computer, the secure communication channel with the secure element.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising communicating, by the computer, a user device identifier to the second TSM, wherein the user device identifier may be used by the second TSM to identify the secure element.

14. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for transferring control of a secure element, the computer-readable medium comprising;

computer-readable program code for receiving a first temporary key from a first trusted service manager (“

TSM”

) to transfer control of a secure element from the first TSM to a mediator TSM;

computer-readable program code for initiating a secure communication channel with the secure element, wherein the secure communication channel is established using the first temporary key and wherein the first temporary key is resident on the secure element;

computer-readable program code for creating a second temporary key, wherein the second temporary key is inputted and saved on the secure element; and

computer-readable program code for communicating the second temporary key to the second TSM.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer-readable program code for creating a first master key between the first TSM to the mediator TSM, wherein the master key facilitates a transfer of control of the secure element from the first TSM to the mediator TSM; and

computer-readable program code for creating a second master key between the mediator TSM to the second TSM, wherein the master key facilitates a transfer of control of the secure element from the mediator TSM to the second TSM.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first temporary key is encrypted by the master key established between the first TSM and the mediator TSM.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable program code for decrypting the first temporary key using the first master key established between the first TSM and the mediator TSM.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable program code for encrypting the second temporary key using the master key established between the second TSM and the mediator TSM prior to communicating the second temporary key to the second TSM.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code for creating one of the first and second master keys comprises:

computer-readable program code for generating a first part of the master key;

computer-readable program code for inputting the first part of the master key into a hardware security module;

computer-readable program code for generating a second part of the master key;

computer-readable program code for inputting the second part of the master key into the hardware security module;

computer-readable program code for assembling the master key parts in the hardware security module; and

computer-readable program code for destroying the master key parts.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-readable program code for deleting the first temporary key from the secure element.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable program code for deleting the access key from the secure element comprises computer-readable program code for communicating an instruction to the secure element to delete the access key from the secure element.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-readable program code for terminating the secure communication channel with the secure element.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer-readable program code for communicating a user device identifier to the second TSM, wherein the user device identifier may be used by the second TSM to identify the secure element.

24. A system for transferring control of a secure element, the system comprising:

a storage medium; and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage medium, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving a first temporary key from a first TSM to transfer control of a secure element from the first TSM to a mediator TSM;

instructions for decrypting the first temporary key using the first master key established between the first TSM and the mediator TSM;

instructions for initiating a secure communication channel with the secure element, wherein the secure communication channel is established using the first temporary key decrypted by the mediator TSM;

instructions for communicating an instruction to delete the first temporary key from the secure element;

instructions for creating a second temporary key;

instructions for communicating the second temporary key to the secure element; and

instructions for communicating the second temporary key to the second TSM for the second TSM to access the secure element.

25. The system of claim 24, the computer-executable instructions further comprising

instructions for creating a first master key between the first TSM to the mediator TSM, wherein the master key facilitates a transfer of control of the secure element from the first TSM to the mediator TSM;

and

instructions for creating a second master key between the mediator TSM to the second TSM, wherein the master key facilitates a transfer of control of the secure element from the mediator TSM to the second TSM.

26. The system of claim 24, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for encrypting the second temporary key by the second master key established between the mediator TSM and the second TSM prior to communicating the second temporary key to the second TSM.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions for creating one of the first and second master keys comprises:

instructions for generating a first part of the master key;

instructions for inputting the first part of the master key into a hardware security module;

instructions for generating a second part of the master key;

instructions for inputting the second part of the master key into the hardware security module;

instructions for assembling the master key parts in the hardware security module; and

computer-readable program code for destroying the master key parts.

28. The system of claim 24, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for terminating the secure communication channel with the secure element.

29. The system of claim 24, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for communicating a user device identifier to the second TSM, wherein the user device identifier may be used by the second TSM to identify the secure element.