Systems and methods for secure short messaging service and multimedia messaging service

• US 9,680,803 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CellTrust Corporation
• Original Assignee: CellTrust Corporation
• Inventors: Moshir, Sean S, Shafiezadeh, Houman, Moshir, Kevin K
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsons, Theodore C
• Application Number:
  US13/031,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 713153, 713154
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing (for example, creating, transmitting, delivering, encrypting, storing, and the like) secure SMS (short message service) and secure MMS (multimedia messaging service) communications are disclosed.

Claims

1. A short messaging service (SMS) system or multimedia messaging service (MMS) system configured for secure communications, the system comprising:

a software module configured to run as a user application on a mobile device, wherein the software module is configured to encrypt an SMS or MMS message via a first encryption; and

a gateway comprising a server computer configured to communicate with the mobile device, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the encrypted message from the mobile device;

wherein the software module or the mobile device has a phone number associated with it and is configured for registration with the gateway using an SMS or MMS message;

wherein the registration comprises with the gateway verifying a phone number associated with the SMS or MMS message received from the software module against a whitelist; and

wherein the whitelist comprises a list of approved phone numbers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the gateway is configured to decrypt the encrypted message received from the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the gateway is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted message via a second encryption.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway includes a profile comprising predefined configuration settings for the software module, wherein the gateway may apply the profile to the software module by sending one or more SMS or MMS profile messages to the software module, and wherein the profile in the one or more profile messages is configured to prevent overriding of the predefined configuration settings on the software module.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing information stored on the mobile device with information at the gateway, wherein the synchronizing comprises at least one of replacing and appending information in the message.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the software module is configured to communicate with the gateway via a dedicated short code, wherein the short code comprises a special telephone number configured to receive a short message service (SMS) message or a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the software module on the mobile device is configured to play a ringtone identifying the priority of the encrypted message when the encrypted message includes a header identifying the priority of the encrypted message.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the software module on the mobile device is configured to register with more than one gateway.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the registration with the gateway comprises inputting the unique identification code provided by a gateway administrator.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the gateway is configured for use on a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a second gateway is configured for use on a code division multiple access (CDMA) network.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the software module and the mobile device is configured with a unique identification code provided to a user for input to the gateway via the mobile device.

13. A method of securing short messaging service (SMS) or multimedia messaging service (MMS) system communications, the method comprising:

registering a mobile device with a gateway using an SMS or MMS message, wherein the gateway checks a phone number associated with the SMS or MMS message against a a preapproved whitelist of phone numbers authorized to register with the gateway and registers the mobile device if it is on the whitelist;

during the registration of the mobile device with the gateway, encrypting, with a software module configured to run as a user application on the mobile device, an SMS or MMS message;

transmitting the encrypted message to the gateway;

decrypting, at the gateway, the encrypted message;

re-encrypting, at the gateway, the decrypted message; and

transmitting the re-encrypted message to the recipient and transmitting a delivery confirmation to the mobile device once the re-encrypted message is transmitted to the recipient.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the message is encrypted at the mobile device via a first encryption, and wherein the decrypted message is re-encrypted at the gateway via a second encryption different from the first encryption.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, to the mobile device, an open confirmation responsive to the re-encrypted SMS message being accessed by a recipient.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the gateway include a profile comprising predefined configuration settings for the software module, wherein the gateway may apply the profile to the software module by sending one or more SMS or MMS profile messages to the software module, and wherein the profile in the one or more profile messages is configured to prevent the mobile device from overriding the predefined configuration settings on the software module.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising synchronizing information stored on the mobile device with information at the gateway, wherein synchronizing comprises at least one of replacing and appending information in the message.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the software module is configured to communicate with the gateway via a dedicated short code, wherein the short code comprises a special telephone number configured to receive a short message service (SMS) message or a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising dividing, at the mobile device, the encrypted message into at least two encrypted sub-messages, wherein the at least two encrypted sub-messages are configured according to an SMS or MMS protocol for transmittal to the gateway.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising assembling, at the gateway, the at least two encrypted sub-messages to reconstitute the encrypted message.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating, at the mobile device, an encryption key associated with the mobile device, wherein the updating is responsive to a key update command transmitted by the gateway.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising queuing, at the gateway, at least one message associated with the mobile device, wherein the queuing is responsive to a key update command transmitted by the gateway.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising processing, at the gateway, the at least one queued message, wherein the processing is responsive to a key change acknowledgement message transmitted from the mobile device to the gateway.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the decrypting, at the gateway, further comprises determining a recipient of the encrypted message.

25. The method of claim 13 wherein the software module on the mobile device is configured to register with more than one gateway.

26. The method of claim 13 wherein the gateway is configured for use on a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network.

27. The method of claim 13 wherein a second gateway is configured for use on a code division multiple access (CDMA) network.

28. The method of claim 13 wherein registering the mobile device with the gateway comprises configuring the mobile device with a unique identification code provided to a user for input to the software module for delivery to the gateway.

29. A communication system for securely delivering a message to a mobile device, the system comprising:

a first software module configured as a gateway, wherein the gateway comprises a server including a computer, wherein the first software module is configured to encrypt at least one of a short messaging service (SMS) message and a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message for delivery to the mobile device; and

a second software module configured to run as a user application on the mobile device, wherein the second software module is further configured to decrypt the encrypted message or data received from the first software module,

wherein the first software module is configured for evaluating whether the mobile device contains the second software module,

wherein the second software module on the mobile device is further configured for registration with the gateway via a secure SMS or MMS message;

wherein the registration with the gateway facilitates communication between the second software module and the gateway;

wherein the gateway is configured to compare a phone number associated with the second software module or the mobile device with a whitelist comprising a preapproved list of phone numbers for software modules or mobile devices that are authorized to register with the gateway; and

wherein the gateway is configured to register the second software module or the mobile device if the second software module or the mobile device is on the whitelist.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the second software module comprises an encrypted address book.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the registration of the second software module with the gateway uses a short messaging service (SMS) and the second software module is configured to be locked after a period of inactivity.