Computer-implemented forum for enabling secure exchange of information

• US 9,100,171 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Secure Forward LLC
• Original Assignee: Secure Forward LLC
• Inventors: Peterson, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almeida, Devin
• Application Number:
  US12/641,137
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713/171, 726 26- 29, 380/44, 380/277
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A secure communication forum is established through use of a network resource that is available to a host user and one or more forum users. The host user is validated and assigned a master key for his or her forum. Individual users who are to participate in the forum are assigned users keys that are validated with the master key. The forum is maintained for ongoing use for the users.

Claims

1. A method for enabling secure communications between a plurality of users, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

(a) establishing a secure communication forum through use of a setup interface between a host user and one or more forum users, in which the one or more processors validate the host user, assign the host user a master key, and assign the one or more forum users user keys for use in participating in the secure communication forum, wherein establishing the secure communication forum further comprises;

generating the master key and a user key for the host user;

acknowledging the one or more forum users from the host user, wherein the host user uses the setup interface to send one or more invitations to the one or more forum users to participate in the secure communication forum; and

generating a user key for each forum user, and validating each user key with the master key, wherein each forum user responds to the one or more invitations over the setup interface;

(b) making the secure communication forum available for ongoing encrypted document and record exchange over a forum interface accessible only by the host user and the one or more forum users;

wherein making the secure communication forum available includes responding to the host user and the one or more forum users interacting with the forum interface by automatically (i) encrypting a document or record specified by the host user for a respective one of the one or more forum users, (ii) verifying that the respective forum user'"'"'s user key is validated by the host user'"'"'s master key, and (iii) based on the verification of the respective forum user'"'"'s user key, enabling the respective forum user to securely access the document or record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an access request by the respective forum user over the forum interface, automatically decrypting the encrypted document or record and providing the decrypted document or record to the respective forum user over the forum interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup interface and the forum interface are part of an online service that hosts the secure communication forum.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically encrypting the document or record includes programmatically, and transparently to the host user, using the respective forum user'"'"'s user key to encrypt the document or record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the user key includes enabling each user to store the user key locally.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein making the secure communication forum available for encrypted document and record exchange includes enabling the host user and the one or more forum users to securely exchange records and documents with each other.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the forum interface enables encrypted document and record exchange to be performed by the host user and the one or more forum users by email.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forum interface enables encrypted document and record exchange to be performed by the host user and the one or more forum users over online chat sessions.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the online service comprises a number of servers hosted by a third-party.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup interface and the forum interface are included in a terminal of the host user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user key for the host user is validated by the master key.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the master key and each of the user keys are asymmetric public-private key pairs.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors verify each of the user keys as validated by the master key prior to each exchange of a document or record.

14. A system for enabling secure communications between a plurality of users, the system comprising:

one or more processors that operate to provide;

(a) a setup manager comprising;

a setup interface that receives input from a host user, the input from the host user identifying one or more forum users;

a master key generator that generates a master key and associates the master key with the host user; and

a user key generator that generates a user key for each of the one or more forum users, each user key being validated by the master key and associated with a corresponding forum user; and

(b) a forum manager comprising;

a data store manager that manages a data store medium retaining information corresponding to a plurality of documents or records; and

a forum interface to verify individual forum users that seek access to the data store medium;

wherein the data store manager is to;

auto-encrypt a document or record submitted by a submitting forum user, of the one or more forum users, for retention in the data store medium;

auto-decrypt a document or record that is requested for access by an accessing forum user of the one or more forum users; and

make the data store medium available for access to the one or more forum users over a plurality of forum user sessions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are implemented on a server as part of an online service.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising one or more storage components on which the data store medium is provided.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors of the online service provide an application interface that enables a given document or record to be submitted to or rendered from the data store medium in a format corresponding to the application being used to submit or render the given document or record.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the application interface includes a messaging interface that combines with the data store manager to provide a secure messaging forum for storing and/or communicating messages by the one or more forum users.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the application interface includes a chat interface that combines with the data store manager to provide a secure chat forum for communicating chat messages amongst the one or more forum users.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the application interface includes a document exchange interface that combines with the data store manager to enable a given forum user to create, modify, or view a document retained in the data store medium in a given application format.