Secure Communication Method

• US 9,078,127 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• 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:
  US14/176,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method for providing secure communication, the method comprising:

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;

the first computing device transmitting 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;

the first computing device receiving, 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

the first computing device transmitting 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,

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 receives the decrypted verification message over the WLAN further comprises the first computing device receiving the decrypted verification message over the WLAN in accordance with a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) over a specified port.

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

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first computing device transmitting the decrypted verification message to the second computing device over the network, includes transmitting the decrypted verification message to the second computing device as Short Message Service (SMS) messages.

4. The method 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.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein initiating the communication includes initiating a phone call.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein initiating the communication includes initiating a document transfer.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first computing device transmitting over the network to the second computing device, includes creating a hash of the decrypted verification message to compare to a hash of the verification message.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

the first computing device transmitting an encrypted document associated with the communication, received from the second computing device, to the wireless device; and

the first computing device receiving a decrypted version of the encrypted document from the wireless device.

9. The method in accordance with 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.

10. A method for providing secure communication, the method comprising:

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;

the first computing device transmitting 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;

the first computing device receiving, 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

the first computing device transmitting 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,

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 receives the decrypted verification message over the WLAN.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, 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.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first computing device transmitting over the network to the second computing device, includes creating a hash of the decrypted verification message to compare to a hash of the verification message.

13. The method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

the first computing device transmitting an encrypted document associated with the communication, received from the second computing device, to the wireless device; and

the first computing device receiving a decrypted version of the encrypted document from the wireless device.

14. The method in accordance with claim 10, 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.

15. A method for providing secure communication, the method comprising:

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;

the first computing device transmitting 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;

the first computing device receiving, 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

the first computing device transmitting 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,

wherein the first computing device receives the decrypted verification message over a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) over a specified port.

16. The method 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.

17. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the first computing device transmitting over the network to the second computing device, includes creating a hash of the decrypted verification message to compare to a hash of the verification message.

18. The method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:

the first computing device transmitting an encrypted document associated with the communication, received from the second computing device, to the wireless device; and

the first computing device receiving a decrypted version of the encrypted document from the wireless device.

19. The method in accordance with claim 15, 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.