Systems and methods for enabling secure messaging, command, and control of remote devices, communicated via a short message service or other message oriented communications mediums

• US 9,172,680 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Integrity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Protected Mobility LLC
• Inventors: Marlow, William J., Cichielo, Robert, Sturniolo, Emil, Benware, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US13/671,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/217, 709/246, 711/166, 717/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Given the rise in popularity of communicating personal, private, sensitive, or vital peer-to-peer or peer-to-group information over potentially insecure text messaging infrastructure, it would be desirable to provide a solution that enables the exchange of this type of information securely over at least one path via data and/or voice networks. Furthermore, it would be highly desirable to enable access to the secure exchange of information over the at least one path by a given entity, as well as other computer applications that the given entity may use.

Claims

1. A system comprising at least one computer server for use by at least one organization or individual for facilitating secure short messaging to at least one other disparately-located computing device that is operatively coupled to at least one voice and/or computer data network, the system being configured to provide:

cryptographic services to secure short messages being communicated between the computer server and the at least one other disparately-located computing device, the cryptographic services being configured for encrypting, decrypting and setting cryptographic policies concerning short messages transferred between devices;

a message routing service;

a transport service operatively coupled to the message routing service that enables the at least one other disparately-located computing device to exchange short messages with the at least one computer server over the at least one voice and/or computer data network;

a web service application programming interface operatively coupled to the cryptographic services and the transport service that allows for at least one further computer system that is operatively coupled to a computer data network in use by the organization or individual to securely exchange messages between the at least one further computer system and the at least one disparately-located computer system; and

an operator/administrative service interface configured for use by an operator, the operator/administrative service interface enabling the operator to securely send and receive short messages;

the operator/administrative service interface being further configured to enable the operator to define and configure policy information for at least one site, group and/or other computing devices that is in communication with the computing server;

the operator/administrative service interface being further configured to enable command and control information to be communicated between the at least one computing server and the at least one other computer device via short messages.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is further configured to provide gateway services for transferring short messages to different network types.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is further configured to provide auditing services for logging short messaging.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a processor configured to check device registration.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface includes selective PIN disablement.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is configured to manage devices as groups.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface includes at least four of the following commands:

select, register, unregister, get status, reset PIN, locate, wipe data, device lock, device unlock, send message, add contact, remove contact, disable PIN and sync.