Communication with non-repudiation

• US 8,458,477 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Sudhakar, Gosukonda Naga Venkata Satya, Carter, Stephen R
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US12/325,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20100135497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 173155-159, 173170-176, 713170-176, 713155-159, 709/229, 380 28- 30, 380255-283
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to compare a first hashed value of at least a first decryption key, the first decryption key received from a sender, to a second hashed value of at least a second decryption key that has been received as a signed value from a receiver. Further operations may include sending the first decryption key to the receiver and sending the signed value to the sender upon determining that the first hashed value matches the second hashed value. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

comparing, at a trusted third party, a first hashed value of at least a first decryption key, the first decryption key received from a sender, to a second hashed value of at least a second decryption key that has been received as a signed value from a receiver, the receiver having signed a hashed value of an encrypted message to provide the signed hashed value of the encrypted message, and to serve as an indication that the encrypted message has been received by the receiver, and the sender having displayed proof of encrypted message receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed hashed value of an encrypted message; and

sending the first decryption key to the receiver and sending the signed value from the trusted third party to the sender as an indication that the first description key has been received by the receiver, upon determining that the first hashed value matches the second hashed value to verify that the first decryption key is the same as the second decryption key, the receiver displaying proof of decryption key receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed version.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding the first hashed value, the second hashed value, the signed value, and the first decryption key as part of an integral communication transaction that includes the comparing and the sending.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hashed value of the at least a second decryption key comprises a hashed value of a decryption key and an identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a sender-provided identifier, a receiver-provided identifier, or a combination of the sender-provided identifier and the receiver-provided identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first decryption key from the sender at a trusted third party via a secure channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the comparing, decrypting the signed value to provide the second hashed value of at least the second decryption key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the first decryption key to the receiver comprises:

sending the first decryption key to the receiver via a secure channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted third party is different from either one of the sender or the receiver.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first decryption key sent from the trusted third party to the receiver is transmitted from the sender to the trusted third party prior to performing the comparing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first decryption key is discarded from the trusted third party responsive to the signed value sent from the trusted third party being received by the sender.

11. A method comprising:

sending a signed hashed value of an encrypted message from a receiver to a sender;

receiving, at the receiver, a hashed value of a decryption key;

signing the hashed value of the decryption key to provide a signed version of the hashed value of the decryption key;

sending the signed version to a trusted third party, the signed version to be transmitted from the trusted third party to the sender as an indication that the description key has been received by the receiver

signing a hashed value of the encrypted message to provide the signed hashed value of the encrypted message, and to serve as an indication that the encrypted message has been received by the receiver;

displaying proof of encrypted message receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed hashed value of the encrypted message; and

displaying proof of decryption key receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed version.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving, at the receiver, the encrypted message from the sender, prior to the sending of the signed hashed value.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the decryption key from the trusted third party at the receiver after the sending of the signed version to the trusted third party.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the decryption key comprises a symmetric key.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the encrypted message comprises an email message.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the encrypted message comprises at least one of a funds transfer request, an indication of funds received, or an indication of funds transmitted.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the encrypted message comprises software program instructions.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the encrypted message comprises professional advice.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory to store an encrypted message and instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, results in the one or more processors operating to;

send a signed hashed value of the encrypted message to a sender;

receive a hashed value of a decryption key;

sign the hashed value of the decryption key to provide a signed version of the hashed value of the decryption key; and

send the signed version to a trusted third party, the signed version to be transmitted from the trusted third party to the sender as an indication that the description key has been received by the apparatus;

sign a hashed value of the encrypted message to provide the signed hashed value of the encrypted message, and to serve as an indication that the encrypted message has been received by the receiver; and

a display device to;

display a decrypted form of the encrypted message in human-perceptible format

display proof of encrypted message receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed hashed value of the encrypted message; and

display proof of decryption key receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed version.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a decryption module to use a decryption key received from the trusted third party to decrypt the encrypted message, providing the decrypted form of the encrypted message.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an encryption module to provide the signed hashed value of the encrypted message.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a display device to display a decrypted form of the encrypted message in human-perceptible format.

23. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

comparing, at a trusted third party, a first hashed value of at least a first decryption key, the first decryption key received from a sender, to a second hashed value of at least a second decryption key that has been received as a signed value from a receiver, the receiver having signed a hashed value of an encrypted message to provide the signed hashed value of the encrypted message, and to serve as an indication that the encrypted message has been received by the receiver, and the sender having displayed proof of encrypted message receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed hashed value of an encrypted message; and

sending the first decryption key to the receiver and sending the signed value from the trusted third party to the sender as an indication that the first description key has been received by the receiver, upon determining that the first hashed value matches the second hashed value to verify that the first decryption key is the same as the second decryption key, the receiver displaying proof of decryption key receipt by displaying information confirming receipt of the signed version.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the sending further comprises:

sending the first decryption key to a client device as the receiver; and

sending the signed value to a server as the sender.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

sending an error message to at least one of the sender or the receiver if the first hashed value does not match the second hashed value as a result of the comparing.