Systems and methods for secure and certified electronic messaging

• US 8,527,751 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Privacydatasystems LLC
• Original Assignee: Privacydatasystems LLC
• Inventors: Errico, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORTHY, ARAVIND K
• Application Number:
  US12/493,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 713/168, 713/170, 713/171, 713/186, 726/5, 726/13, 726/22, 380/255, 380/44, 382/115, 707/694, 707/696, 707/741
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for secure and certified electronic messaging from a plurality of users to one or more electronic mailboxes and the like using a combination of biometric security, a separate and secure network and email infrastructure, email management processes, and the addition of text, audio and visual format options to sending emails messages.

Claims

1. An electronic messaging method, comprising:

receiving a request to send an electronic message from a sender to a recipient, wherein the electronic message comprises any of text, audio, video, and file attachments;

authenticating the sender of the electronic message at an authentication server remote from the sender and the recipient;

receiving the electronic message at a hosted server remote from the sender and the recipient through a first secure connection;

storing the electronic message on the hosted server;

alerting the recipient that the electronic message is pending; and

delivering the electronic message through a second secure connection from the hosted server to the recipient;

wherein the authenticating the sender comprises;

sending software code to the sender to initiate a biometric authentication;

acquiring biometric information of the sender;

creating a numerical index of the biometric information to form a public key;

receiving the public key at the authentication server over a third secure connection; and

authenticating the public key with a corresponding private key at the authentication server.

2. The electronic messaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the sender prior to receiving the request to send the electronic message, wherein registering comprises capturing a fingerprint scan of the sender and storing a private key in the authentication server responsive to the fingerprint scan.

3. The electronic messaging method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating the sender comprises:

sending the software code to the sender to initiate the biometric authentication;

scanning a fingerprint of the sender;

creating a numerical index of the fingerprint responsive to the scanning a fingerprint to form a public key;

receiving the public key at the authentication server over a third secure connection; and

authenticating the public key with a corresponding private key at the authentication server.

4. The electronic messaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the electronic message prior to storing the electronic message.

5. The electronic messaging method of claim 4, wherein the electronic message is encrypted with one of Triple Data Encryption Standard (T-DES) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption and stored in a secure data store.

6. The electronic messaging method of claim 1, wherein the first secure connection and the second secure connection each comprise a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection.

7. The electronic messaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the electronic message by updating a log responsive to activity associated with the electronic message; and

certifying delivery of the electronic message responsive to authenticating the recipient and delivering the electronic message to the recipient.

8. The electronic messaging method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a webpage for an organization; and

providing a Uniform Resource Locator link for a corporate inbox comprising the recipient;

wherein the sender initiates the receiving, authenticating, receiving, storing, alerting, and delivering steps responsive to clicking on the Uniform Resource Locator link.

9. The electronic messaging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a webpage for an organization; and

a Uniform Resource Locator link for a corporate inbox comprising the recipient, wherein the Uniform Resource Locator link is located on the webpage.

10. An electronic messaging system, comprising:

a hosted server comprising a network interface connected to the Internet, a data store comprising storage for electronic messages and software code, and a processor; and

an authentication database connected to the hosted server, wherein the authentication database comprises a plurality of private keys for authenticating a plurality of users;

wherein the hosted server and the authentication database are remotely located from a sender and a recipient of an electronic message; and

wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a request to send the electronic message from the sender to the recipient, wherein the electronic message comprises any of text, audio, video, and file attachments;

authenticate the sender of the electronic message through a comparison of a public key with the plurality of private keys at the authentication database, wherein the public key is generated locally by the sender from biometric information;

receive the electronic message through a first secure connection;

store the electronic message in the data store;

alert the recipient that the electronic message is pending; and

deliver the electronic message through a second secure connection to the recipient.

11. The electronic messaging system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

register the sender prior to receiving the request to send the electronic message, wherein registering comprises capturing a fingerprint scan of the sender and storing a private key in the authentication database responsive to the fingerprint scan.

12. The electronic messaging system of claim 11, wherein to authenticate the sender the processor is configured to:

send software code to the sender to initiate a biometric authentication.

13. The electronic messaging system of claim 10, wherein the electronic message is encrypted prior to storage in the data store.

14. The electronic messaging system of claim 13, wherein the electronic message is encrypted with one of Triple Data Encryption Standard (T-DES) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption.

15. The electronic messaging system of claim 10, wherein the first secure connection and the second secure connection each comprise a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection.

16. The electronic messaging system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

track the electronic message by updating a log responsive to activity associated with the electronic message; and

certify delivery of the electronic message responsive to authenticating the recipient and delivering the electronic message to the recipient.