Secure communication method

• US 8,948,391 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kritt, Barry A., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cribbs, Malcolm
• Application Number:
  US13/675,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20140133655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A first computing device receives over a telecommunications network from a second computing device a verification message encrypted using a public key. The verification message is generated by the second computing device when initiating a call to the first computing device. The first computing device transmits to a wireless router via a wireless local area network (WLAN) created by the wireless router, the encrypted verification message. The first computing device receives from the wireless router over the WLAN, a decrypted verification message decrypted from the encrypted message by the wireless device using a private key associated with the public key. The first computing device transmits over the telecommunications network to the second computing device, the decrypted verification message. If the second computing device determines that the decrypted verification message corresponds to the encrypted verification message, the second computing device allows the call to the first computing device to proceed.

Claims

1. A computer program product for providing secure communication, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions for execution on a first computing device to receive, over a network from a second computing device, a verification message generated by the second computing device in association with initiating a communication to the first computing device over the network, wherein the verification message is encrypted by the second computing device using a first cryptographic key;

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, to a wireless device via a wireless channel between the first computing device and the wireless device, the encrypted verification message, wherein the first computing device is located within a geographical area that is fixed by a location of the wireless device and defined by a signaling range of the wireless device;

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive, from the wireless device over the wireless channel, a decrypted verification message decrypted from the encrypted verification message by the wireless device using a second cryptographic key associated with the first cryptographic key; and

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, over the network to the second computing device, the decrypted verification message, wherein if the second computing device determines that the decrypted verification message matches the verification message, the second computing device allows the communication to the first computing device to proceed, and

wherein the wireless device is a wireless router, the wireless channel between the first computing device and the wireless router is established as part of a wireless local area network (WLAN) created by the wireless router, and

wherein the program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive the decrypted verification message over the WLAN further comprise program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive the decrypted verification message over the WLAN in accordance with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) over—

and a specified port.

2. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second computing devices are smartphones.

3. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first cryptographic key is a public key of an asymmetric cryptographic key pair, and the second cryptographic key is a private key of the asymmetric cryptographic key pair.

7. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein initiating the communication includes initiating one of a phone call or a document transfer.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, over the network to the second computing device, include program instructions to create a hash of the decrypted verification message to compare to a hash of the verification message.

11. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit an encrypted document associated with the communication, received from the second computing device, to the wireless device; and

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive a decrypted version of the encrypted document from the wireless device.

13. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second encryption key used by the wireless device to decrypt the encrypted verification message is securely maintained in a central store and requested by the wireless device as needed.

19. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the program instructions for the first computing device to transmit the decrypted verification message to the second computing device over the network, include program instructions to transmit the decrypted verification message to the second computing device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

4. A computer system for providing secure communication, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage devices;

program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions for execution on a first computing device to receive, over a network from a second computing device, a verification message generated by the second computing device in association with initiating a communication to the first computing device over the network;

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, to a wireless device via a wireless channel between the first computing device and the wireless device, the encrypted verification message, wherein the first computing device is located within a geographical area that is fixed by a location of the wireless device and defined by a signaling range of the wireless device;

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive, from the wireless device over the wireless channel, a decrypted verification message decrypted from the encrypted verification message by the wireless device using a second cryptographic key associated with the first cryptographic key; and

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, over the network to the second computing device, wherein if the second computing device determines that the decrypted verification message matches the verification message, the second computing device allows the communication to the first computing device to proceed,

wherein the wireless device is a wireless router, the wireless channel between the first computing device and the wireless router is established as part of a wireless local area network (WLAN) created by the wireless router, and

wherein the program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive the decrypted verification message over the WLAN further comprise program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive the decrypted verification message over the WLAN in accordance with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and a specified port.

5. The computer system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first and second computing devices are smartphones.

6. The computer system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the first cryptographic key is a public key of an asymmetric cryptographic key pair, and the second cryptographic key is a private key of the asymmetric cryptographic key pair.

8. The computer system in accordance with claim 4, wherein initiating the communication includes initiating one of a phone call or a document transfer.

10. The computer system of claim 4, wherein program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, over the network to the second computing device, include program instructions to create a hash of the decrypted verification message to compare to a hash of the verification message.

12. The computer system of claim 4, further comprising:

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit an encrypted document associated with the communication, received from the second computing device, to the wireless device; and

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive a decrypted version of the encrypted document from the wireless device.

14. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the second encryption key used by the wireless device to decrypt the encrypted verification message is securely maintained in a central store and requested by the wireless device as needed.

20. A computer system in accordance with claim 4,

wherein the program instructions for the first computing device to transmit the decrypted verification message to the second computing device over the network, include program instructions to transmit the decrypted verification message to the second computing device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

15. A computer program product for providing secure communication, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions for execution on a first computing device to receive, over a network from a second computing device, a verification message generated by the second computing device in association with initiating a communication to the first computing device over the network, wherein the verification message is encrypted by the second computing device using a first cryptographic key;

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit to a wireless device via a wireless channel between the first computing device and the wireless device, the encrypted verification message, wherein the wireless device is a wireless router, the wireless channel between the first computing device and the wireless router is established as part of a wireless local area network (WLAN) created by the wireless router, and wherein the first computing device is located within a geographical area that is fixed by a location of the wireless device and defined by a signaling range of the wireless device;

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive, from the wireless device over the wireless channel, a decrypted verification message decrypted from the encrypted verification message by the wireless device using a second cryptographic key associated with the first cryptographic key; and

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit, over the network to the second computing device, the decrypted verification message, wherein if the second computing device determines that the decrypted verification message matches the verification message, the second computing device allows the communication to the first computing device to proceed, and

wherein the program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive the decrypted verification message over the WLAN further comprise program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive the decrypted verification message over the WLAN in accordance with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and a specified port.

16. The computer program product in accordance with claim 15, wherein the program instructions for the first computing device to transmit the decrypted verification message to the second computing device over the network, include program instructions to transmit the decrypted verification message to the second computing device as a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

17. The computer program product in accordance with claim 15, wherein the first cryptographic key is a public key of an asymmetric cryptographic key pair, and the second cryptographic key is a private key of the asymmetric cryptographic key pair.

18. The computer program product in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to transmit an encrypted document associated with the communication, received from the second computing device, to the wireless device; and

program instructions for execution on the first computing device to receive a decrypted version of the encrypted document from the wireless device.