System and method for displaying a security encoding indicator associated with a message attachment

• US 9,237,148 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael K., Kirkup, Michael G., Brown, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAIFER HARRIMAN, DANT B
• Application Number:
  US11/841,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,067 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 715751-759, 713/152
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

An apparatus and method of displaying a message on a display of a computing device. The message comprises at least a first attachment. At least a portion of the message is displayed to a user. The displayed portion comprises an identifier for the first attachment. In one embodiment, a security encoding indicator is associated with the identifier for the first attachment and displayed to the user. If a security encoding has been applied to the first attachment, the security encoding indicator indicates the security encoding applied to the first attachment.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a message on a computing device, the message received by the computing device from a message server, wherein the message comprises at least a message body and a first attachment separate from the message body, the method comprising, after the message is received:

displaying at least a portion of the message body and, separate from the message body, an identifier for the first attachment in lieu of content for the first attachment, wherein the first attachment is encodable independent of whether data in the message body is encoded;

determining if at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body;

determining if at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment;

a processor of the computing device generating at least one security encoding indicator in response to determining that the at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body or the at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment; and

displaying the at least one security encoding indicator on a display of the computing device;

wherein if the at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body, the at least one security encoding indicator comprises a message body encoding indicator that is visually associated with the message body;

wherein if the at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment, the at least one security encoding indicator comprises a first attachment security encoding indicator that is visually associated with the identifier for the first attachment; and

wherein the message body encoding indicator is visually distinguishable from the first attachment security encoding indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator indicates that one of the conditions selected from the following group applies to the first attachment:

the first attachment is both signed and encrypted;

the first attachment is signed but not encrypted;

the first attachment is encrypted but not signed; and

the first attachment is neither signed nor encrypted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator indicates whether the first attachment is signed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises an icon that indicates that the first attachment is signed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator further identifies a key holder of a key used to sign the first attachment.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing a menu option such that when the menu option is selected, data from a certificate, with which a key used to sign the first attachment is associated, is displayed.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator further indicates whether a key used to sign the first attachment is associated with a trusted certificate.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises an icon that indicates that a digital signature associated with the first attachment failed to verify successfully.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator indicates that the first attachment is encrypted.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator further identifies a key holder of a key used to encrypt the first attachment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises an icon that indicates that the first attachment is encrypted.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises a portion of a bar associated with the first attachment that indicates whether the first attachment is at least one of encrypted or signed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises a portion of a border associated with the first attachment that indicates whether the first attachment is at least one of encrypted or signed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises at least one of a plurality of colors applied to the identifier for the first attachment that indicates whether the first attachment is at least one of encrypted or signed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises at least one of a plurality of font sizes applied to the identifier for the first attachment that indicates whether the first attachment is at least one of encrypted or signed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator comprises at least one of a plurality of font styles applied to the identifier for the first attachment that indicates whether the first attachment is at least one of encrypted or signed.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a plurality of attachments.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method comprises displaying an identifier for each of the plurality of attachments, and wherein the act of displaying the at least one security encoding indicator comprises displaying at least one attachment security encoding indicator for each of the plurality of attachments, the respective at least one attachment security encoding indicator being associated with the identifier for the corresponding attachment;

and wherein for each of the plurality of attachments, if at least one security encoding has been applied thereto, the respective at least one attachment security encoding indicator indicates the at least one security encoding applied to the corresponding attachment.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an e-mail message.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium upon which a plurality of instructions is stored, the instructions for performing a method of displaying a message on a computing device, the message received by the computing device from a message server, wherein the message comprises at least a message body and a first attachment separate from the message body, wherein the method comprises, after the message is received:

displaying at least a portion of the message body and, separate from the message body, an identifier for the first attachment in lieu of content for the first attachment, wherein the first attachment is encodable independent of whether data in the message body is encoded;

determining if at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body;

determining if at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment;

a processor of the computing device generating at least one security encoding indicator in response to determining that the at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body or the at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment; and

displaying the at least one security encoding indicator on a display of the computing device;

wherein if the at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body, the at least one security encoding indicator comprises a message body encoding indicator that is visually associated with the message body;

wherein if the at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment, the at least one security encoding indicator comprises a first attachment security encoding indicator that is visually associated with the identifier for the first attachment; and

wherein the message body encoding indicator is visually distinguishable from the first attachment security encoding indicator.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator indicates that one of the conditions selected from the following group applies to the first attachment:

the first attachment is both signed and encrypted;

the first attachment is signed but not encrypted;

the first attachment is encrypted but not signed; and

the first attachment is neither signed nor encrypted.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the message comprises a plurality of attachments.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the method comprises displaying an identifier for each of the plurality of attachments, and wherein the act of displaying the at least one security encoding indicator comprises displaying at least one attachment security encoding indicator for each of the plurality of attachments, the respective at least one attachment security encoding indicator being associated with the identifier for the corresponding attachment;

and wherein for each of the plurality of attachments, if at least one security encoding has been applied thereto, the respective at least one attachment security encoding indicator indicates the at least one security encoding applied to the corresponding attachment.

22. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a display;

wherein in operation, the processor is configured to perform a method of displaying a message on a computing device, the message received by the computing device from a message server, wherein the message comprises at least a message body and a first attachment separate from the message body, wherein the method comprises, after the message is received;

displaying at least a portion of the message body and, separate from the message body, an identifier for the first attachment in lieu of content for the first attachment, wherein the first attachment is encodable independent of whether data in the message body is encoded;

determining if at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body;

determining if at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment;

generating at least one security encoding indicator in response to determining that the at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body or the at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment; and

displaying the at least one security encoding indicator on a display of the computing device;

wherein if the at least one message body security encoding applies to the message body, the at least one security encoding indicator comprises a message body encoding indicator that is visually associated with the message body;

wherein if the at least one attachment security encoding applies to the first attachment, the at least one security encoding indicator comprises a first attachment security encoding indicator that is visually associated with the identifier for the first attachment; and

wherein the message body encoding indicator is visually distinguishable from the first attachment security encoding indicator.

26. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the first attachment security encoding indicator indicates that one of the conditions selected from the following group applies to the first attachment:

the first attachment is both signed and encrypted;

the first attachment is signed but not encrypted;

the first attachment is encrypted but not signed; and

the first attachment is neither signed nor encrypted.

27. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the message comprises a plurality of attachments.

28. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the method comprises displaying an identifier for each of the plurality of attachments, and wherein the act of displaying the at least one security encoding indicator comprises displaying at least one attachment security encoding indicator for each of the plurality of attachments, the respective at least one attachment security encoding indicator being associated with the identifier for the corresponding attachment;

and wherein for each of the plurality of attachments, if at least one security encoding has been applied thereto, the respective at least one attachment security encoding indicator indicates the at least one security encoding applied to the corresponding attachment.