System and method for providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service

• US 9,077,524 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil Patrick, Little, Herbert Anthony, Rybak, Michal Andrzej, Kirkup, Michael Grant, Tapuska, David Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Application Number:
  US13/682,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A system and method for providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service. The random data service may provide random number data to one or more applications adapted to generate key pairs used in code signing applications, for example. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of: retrieving random number data from the random data service; applying one or more randomness tests to the retrieved random number data to compute at least one indicator of the randomness quality of the random number data; associating the at least one indicator with at least one state represented by a color; and displaying the color associated with the at least one indicator to a user. The color may be displayed in a traffic light icon, for example.

Claims

1. A computing device for generating encryption key pairs from random number data, the computing device comprising a processor and a memory, the processor configured to:

receive random number data;

apply one or more randomness tests to the random number data to compute at least one test result;

associate the at least one test result with at least one of a plurality of states indicative of the randomness quality of the random number data to determine an indication of randomness quality of the random number data for display;

display said indication of the randomness quality of the random number data in a user interface;

if said indication is one of a predefined set of one or more indications, provide, in the user interface, an option to create an encryption key pair, await a selection of the option to create the encryption key pair, and receive an instruction to create the encryption key pair, in response to a display of said indication of the randomness quality of the random number data in the user interface and the selection of the option to create the encryption key pair; and

if said indication is not one of the predefined set of one or more indications, not provide, in the user interface, the option to create the encryption key pair.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device provides code signing services to entities that wish to have software applications digitally signed.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of states comprises more than two states.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein when displaying said indication of the randomness quality of the random number data, the processor is configured to display an identifier or name of said at least one of a plurality of states indicative of the randomness quality of the random number data.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of states indicative of the randomness quality of the random number data are mapped into a fewer number of collective states each identified by a descriptive identifier.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to display a color associated with said at least one indicator.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to associate the at least one indicator with one of three states, wherein the first state is represented by red, the second state is represented by yellow, and the third state is represented by green.

8. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to display the color in a traffic light icon.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of states comprises seven states, and wherein the processor is configured to map each of the seven states to a corresponding color of the traffic light icon.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein a descriptive identifier associated with the at least one indicator is displayed with said traffic light icon.

11. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to prevent generation of the encryption key pair in response to a user instruction when a pre-defined color is displayed.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the encryption key pair comprises a public and a private key.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to store the private key.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to attach the public key to digitally signed software applications.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the digitally software applications are executable on a mobile device.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to make the public key available to code signing system components requiring the public key for verifying digitally signed software applications.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the digitally software applications are executable on a mobile device.

18. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is provided at a server.

19. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive the random number data from a random data service.