Method for securing an interaction between nodes and related nodes

• US 8,402,264 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lucidarme, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US11/897,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3013 involving the discrete logarithm problem, e.g. ElGamal or Diffie-Hellman systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/302 involving the integer factorization problem, e.g. RSA or quadratic sieve [QS] schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869

Abstract

The invention proposes a method for securing an interaction between a first node and a second node, wherein a security algorithm belonging to both a first set of security algorithms held by the first node and a second set of security algorithms held by a third node is selected to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes, the selection of said security algorithm taking account of capacities of both the first and third nodes.

Claims

1. A method for securing an interaction between a first node and a second node, wherein a security algorithm belonging to both a first set of security algorithms held by the first node and a second set of security algorithms held by a third node is selected by a selector comprised in at least one of the nodes to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes, the selection of said security algorithm taking account of capacities of both the first and third nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm takes account of memory storage capacities of both the first and third nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm is such that said security algorithm requires less storage from the one of the first and third nodes which has the lowest memory storage capacities than from the other.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the security algorithms belonging to the first and second sets of security algorithms comprise authentication algorithms.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the security algorithms belonging to the first and second sets of security algorithms comprise encryption algorithms.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selection of said security algorithm takes account of processing capacities of both the first and third nodes.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the selection of said security algorithm is such that said security algorithm requires less processing from the one of the first and third nodes which has the lowest processing capacities than from the other.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said security algorithm is selected to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes in any of several protocol layers.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a respective security algorithm is selected to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes in each direction.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second node and the third node refer to the same node.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third node is a node to which processing and/or storage is delegated from the second node.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an indication of capacities of the first node is transmitted to the third node before said security algorithm is selected.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, after having received the indication of capacities of the first node, the third node transmits to the first node an indication of at least one security algorithm to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes, said at least one security algorithm being chosen from the second set of security algorithms so as to suit said indication of capacities of the first node as well as capacities of the third node.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the indication of security algorithms transmitted to the first node is set to show an order of preference of the security algorithms from the point of view of the third node.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first node then transmits to the third node an indication of one of the security algorithms indicated by the third node to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes, said one of the security algorithms belonging to the first set of security algorithms.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least one security algorithm indicated by the third node consists of one security algorithm selected from security algorithms belonging to the first set of security algorithms and previously indicated by the first node to the third node.

15. A method for securing an interaction between a first node and a second node, comprising:

selecting a security algorithm belonging to both a first set of security algorithms held by the first node and a second set of security algorithms held by a third node by at least one of the nodes to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes, the selection of said security algorithm taking account of capacities of both the first and third nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm takes account of memory storage capacities of both the first and third nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm is such that said security algorithm requires less storage from the one of the first and third nodes which has the lowest memory storage capacities than from the other.

16. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for securing an interaction between a first node and a second node, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

select a security algorithm belonging to both a first set of security algorithms held by the first node and a second set of security algorithms held by a third node to secure the interaction between the first and second nodes, the selection of said security algorithm taking account of capacities of both the first and third nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm takes account of memory storage capacities of both the first and third nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm is such that said security algorithm requires less storage from the one of the first and third nodes which has the lowest memory storage capacities than from the other.

17. A first node, configured to secure an interaction between a second node and a third node, comprising:

a memory medium storing a first set of security algorithms;

a transceiver for performing communication with one or more other nodes; and

processing hardware coupled to the transceiver and the memory medium, wherein the processing hardware is configured to select a security algorithm belonging to both the first set of security algorithms held by the first node and a second set of security algorithms held by the second node to secure the interaction between the second and third nodes, the selection of said security algorithm taking account of capacities of both the first and second nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm takes account of memory storage capacities of both the first and second nodes, wherein the selection of said security algorithm is such that said security algorithm requires less storage from the one of the first and second nodes which has the lowest memory storage capacities than from the other.