Data protection for keychain syncing

• US 9,684,801 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: De Atley, Dallas B., Adler, Mitchell D., Brouwer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US14/827,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a program that provides data protection for a device when synchronizing a set of keychains stored on the device with a set of other devices. The program receives keychain data for synchronizing the set of keychains stored on the device with the set of other devices. The keychain data is specified as belonging to a protection domain. The program determines whether a set of conditions defined for the protection domain is satisfied. When the set of conditions is determined as satisfied, the program allows access to the keychain data in order to process the keychain data and synchronize the set of keychains stored on the device with the set of other devices.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one processing unit of a device provides data protection for the device when synchronizing a keychain stored on the device with keychains stored in a set of other devices, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving keychain data for synchronizing the keychain stored on the device with the keychains stored in the set of other devices, the keychain data specified as belonging to a protection domain, the protection domain defining a set of conditions in order for the received keychain data to become accessible to the device, the set of conditions comprising the device being in a locked state after having been in an unlocked state at least once since a last time the device has been booted;

allowing, when the device is in the locked state after having been in the unlocked state at least once since the last time the device has been booted, access to the received keychain data to process the received keychain data and to synchronize the keychain stored on the device with the keychains stored in the set of other devices; and

preventing, when the device is in the locked state without having been in the unlocked state at least once since the last time the device has been booted, access to the received keychain data.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the keychain data is received in an encrypted format, wherein the set of instructions for allowing access to the received keychain data comprises a set of instructions for allowing access to a decryption key for decrypting the keychain data and decrypting the keychain data with the decryption key.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the decryption key is a private key of a public and private key pair belonging to and generated by the device, wherein the received keychain data is encrypted in the encrypted format with a public key of the public and private key pair.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the protection domain is pre-defined and provided as part of an operating system operating on the device.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the keychain data comprises a list of keychain items to update and a set of data that represents the keychain items specified in the list of keychain items to update.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for preventing access to the received keychain data comprises a set of instructions for returning the keychain data to a processing queue for later processing.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the keychain data comprises one or more of passwords, private keys, certificates, and secure notes.

8. A method of providing data protection for a device when synchronizing a keychain stored on the device with keychains stored in a set of other devices, the method comprising:

receiving keychain data for synchronizing the keychain stored on the device with the keychains stored in the set of other devices, the keychain data specified as belonging to a protection domain, the protection domain defining a set of conditions in order for the received keychain data to become accessible to the device, the set of conditions comprising the device being in a locked state after having been in an unlocked state at least once since a last time the device has been booted;

allowing, when the device is in the locked state after having been in the unlocked state at least once since the last time the device has been booted, access to the received keychain data to process the received keychain data and to synchronize the keychain stored on the device with the keychains stored in the set of other devices; and

preventing, when the device is in the locked state without having been in the unlocked state at least once since the last time the device has been booted, access to the received keychain data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the keychain data is received in an encrypted format, wherein allowing access to the received keychain data comprises allowing access to a decryption key for decrypting the keychain data and decrypting the keychain data with the decryption key.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the decryption key is a private key of a public and private key pair belonging to and generated by the device, wherein the received keychain data is encrypted in the encrypted format with a public key of the public and private key pair.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the protection domain is pre-defined and provided as part of an operating system operating on the device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the keychain data comprises a list of keychain items to update and a set of data that represents the keychain items specified in the list of keychain items to update.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein preventing access to the received keychain data comprises returning the keychain data to a processing queue for later processing.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the keychain data comprises one or more of passwords, private keys, certificates, and secure notes.

15. A device comprising:

a set of processors; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program which when executed by at least one of the set of processors of the device provides data protection for the device when synchronizing a keychain stored on the device with keychains stored in a set of other devices, the program comprising sets of instructions for;

receiving keychain data for synchronizing the keychain stored on the device with the keychains stored in the set of other devices, the keychain data specified as belonging to a protection domain, the protection domain defining a set of conditions in order for the received keychain data to become accessible to the device, the set of conditions comprising the device being in a locked state after having been in an unlocked state at least once since a last time the device has been booted;

allowing, when the device is in the locked state after having been in the unlocked state at least once since the last time the device has been booted, access to the received keychain data to process the received keychain data and to synchronize the keychain stored on the device with the keychains stored in the set of other devices; and

preventing, when the device is in the locked state without having been in the unlocked state at least once since the last time the device has been booted, access to the received keychain data.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the keychain data is received in an encrypted format, wherein the set of instructions for allowing access to the received keychain data comprises a set of instructions for allowing access to a decryption key for decrypting the keychain data and decrypting the keychain data with the decryption key.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the decryption key is a private key of a public and private key pair belonging to and generated by the device, wherein the received keychain data is encrypted in the encrypted format with a public key of the public and private key pair.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the protection domain is pre-defined and provided as part of an operating system operating on the device.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the keychain data comprises a list of keychain items to update and a set of data that represents the keychain items specified in the list of keychain items to update.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the keychain data comprises one or more of passwords, private keys, certificates, and secure notes.