Digital heritage notary

• US 9,948,468 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Inventors: Nayshtut, Alex, Pogorelik, Oleg, Sharaga, Avishay, Smith, Ned M., Muttik, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US14/582,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20160182240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1, 726 9, 726 6, 726 10, 713158, 713156, 713153, 713173, 713176, 713182, 705 65, 705 59, 705 75, 380 28, 380 33, 380 44, 380279, 380231, 380255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

In an example, a DHN (DHN) is provided for enabling grantees to access digitally-controlled assets of a principal. The principal (level 0) establishes a digital testament (DT), identifying one or more grantees on levels 1-n. Each grantee receives a digital heritage certificate (DHC), which may be based on the PKI certificate definition. The DHC includes a “PREDECESSORS” field, identifying one or more predecessor certificates that must be revoked before the DHC is valid. All grantee DHCs have the principal'"'"'s level 0, DHC as a predecessor certificate. Level n certificates may also be valid only if all certificates at level n−1, have been revoked. In practice, a DHC may be revoked when a user of the certificate passes away, so that nth generation grantees inherit only when generation n−1, has passed away.

Claims

1. A computing apparatus comprising:

a hardware computing platform comprising at least a processor and memory configured to provide a hierarchical digital heritage notary (DHN) engine operable for;

receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a human principal, the human principal being a level 0 (L0) user;

assigning the principal an L0 principal digital heritage certificate (DHC) (L0 certificate), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish a plurality of grantees of the DT, the plurality of grantees comprising at least a level 1 (L1) grantee and one or more level 2 (L2) grantees; and

assigning the L1 grantee an L1 DHC (L1 certificate) with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate to the L1 grantee'"'"'s certificate, wherein death of the principal and revocation of the L0 certificate are conditions precedent for validity of the L1 certificate; and

assigning the one or more L2 grantees L2 DHCs (L2 certificates), wherein death of the L1 grantee is a condition precedent for validity of the L2 certificates.

2. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a revocation request for a DHC; and

causing a certificate revocation list (CRL) to be published indicating that the DHC has been revoked.

3. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving an authentication attempt from a grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC having at least one predecessor certificate; and

confirming authentication only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

4. The computing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the authentication attempt comprises a single-sign-on service request.

5. The computing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the authentication attempt comprises an authentication service assertion.

6. The computing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the authentication service assertion is an authentication statement.

7. The computing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the authentication service assertion requires all predecessor certificates to be revoked.

8. The computing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the authentication attempt comprises an extensible access control markup language (XACML) access control rule.

9. The computing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the XACML access control rule comprises a condition that any predecessor certificates be revoked.

10. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a validation request from a network service, the validation request including a DHC; and

confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

11. The computing apparatus of claim 10, wherein confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked comprises:

providing a validate certificate query to a certificate authority;

querying a certificate revocation list to determine if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked;

and confirming the validation request only if the certificate authority returns a certificate valid response and only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC appear on the certificate revocation list.

12. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one DHC is a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate.

13. One or more computer-readable mediums having stored thereon executable instructions for providing a hierarchical digital heritage notary (DHN) engine operable for:

receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a human principal, the human principal being a level 0 (L0) user;

assigning the principal a n L0 principal digital heritage certificate (DHC) (L0 certificate), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish a plurality of grantees of the DT, the plurality of grantees comprising at least a level 1 (L1) grantee and one or more level 2 (L2) grantees; and

assigning the L1 grantee an L1 DHC (L1 certificate) with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate to the L1 grantee'"'"'s certificate, wherein death of the principal and revocation of the L0 certificate are conditions precedent for validity of the L1 certificate; and

assigning the one or more L2 grantees L2 DHCs (L2 certificates), wherein death of the L1 grantee is a condition precedent for validity of the L2 certificates.

14. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13, wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a revocation request for a DHC; and

causing a certificate revocation list (CRL) to be published indicating that the DHC has been revoked.

15. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13, wherein the hierarchical DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving an authentication attempt from a grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC having at least one predecessor certificate; and

providing authentication only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

16. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 15, wherein the authentication attempt comprises a single-sign-on service request.

17. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 15, wherein the authentication attempt comprises a security assertion markup language (SAML) assertion.

18. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 17, wherein the SAML assertion is an authentication statement.

19. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13, wherein the DHN engine is further operable for:

receiving a validation request from a network service, the validation request including a DHC; and

confirming the validation request only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.

20. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 19, wherein confirming the validation request only if all predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked comprises:

providing a validate certificate query to a certificate authority;

querying a certificate revocation list to determine if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked;

and confirming the validation request only if the certificate authority returns a certificate valid response and only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC appear on the certificate revocation list.

21. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 13, wherein at least one DHC is a public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate.

22. A method of providing a DHN comprising:

receiving a request to establish a digital testament (DT) for a human principal, the human principal being a level 0 (L0) user;

assigning the principal an L0 principal digital heritage certificate (DHC) (L0 certificate), the principal DHC having no predecessor certificate;

receiving a request to establish a plurality of grantees of the DT, the plurality of grantees comprising at least a level 1 (L1) grantee and one or more level 2 (L2) grantees; and

assigning the L1 grantee an L1 DHC (L1 certificate) with the principal DHC as a predecessor certificate to the L1 grantee'"'"'s certificate;

receiving a request to establish a level 2 grantee of the principal; and

assigning the level 2 grantee a level 2 grantee'"'"'s DHC with the level 1 grantee'"'"'s DHC and the principal'"'"'s DHC as predecessor certificates, wherein death of the principal and revocation of the L0 certificate are conditions precedent for validity of any certificate with a predecessor certificate.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving an authentication attempt from a grantee, the authentication attempt including a DHC; and

providing authentication only if any predecessor certificates of the DHC have been revoked.