Apparatus and method for secure provisioning of a communication device

• US 10,701,072 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2019
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chastain, Walter Cooper, Chin, Stephen Emille
• Primary Examiner(s): Shehni, Ghazal B
• Application Number:
  US16/240,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20190141038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, obtaining programming data via an over-the-air programming message for use by a communication device, wherein the over-the-air programming message is obtained from, and encrypted by an over-the-air programming server. The over-the-air programming message is decrypted utilizing a first keyset obtained by a secure device processor processing the first keyset obtained from a remote management server via transmission by the over-the-air programming server, to generate a first-key decrypted over-the-air programming message. The decrypted over-the-air programming message is provided to a secure element to enable the secure element to further decrypt the first-key decrypted over-the-air programming message utilizing a second keyset, wherein the secure device processor does not have access to the second keyset. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

decrypting, by a secure processing system including a processor of a communication system, an over-the-air programming message that includes programming data, utilizing a first keyset obtained by the secure processing system to generate a first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message, wherein the first keyset is obtained from a remote management server via transmission by an over-the-air programming server; and

providing, by the secure processing system, the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message to a secure element, wherein the providing of the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message to the secure element enables the secure element to further decrypt the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message utilizing a second keyset, and wherein the secure processing system does not have access to the second keyset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the secure processing system, a schedule for providing messages to the secure element of the communication system, wherein the secure processing system is separate from the secure element and in communication with the secure element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the over-the-air programming message originates from a service provisioning system, wherein the over-the-air programming server does not have access to the second keyset, and wherein the service provisioning system has access to the second keyset.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

determining, by the secure processing system, that a response has been generated by the secure element and is associated with the over-the-air programming message; and

providing, by the secure processing system, the response to the over-the-air programming server for transmission to the service provisioning system, wherein the response is encrypted by the secure element utilizing the second keyset, and wherein the response is configured for decryption by the service provisioning system utilizing the second keyset.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the secure processing system, for a response provided by the secure element;

determining, by the secure processing system, that the response is associated with the over-the-air programming message;

encrypting, by the secure processing system, the response utilizing the first keyset to generate an encrypted response; and

providing, by the secure processing system, the encrypted response to the over-the-air programming server to enable the over-the-air programming server to decrypt the encrypted response for transmission to a service provisioning system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

authenticating, by the secure processing system, with the secure element utilizing a third keyset; and

obtaining, by the secure processing system, the first keyset from the secure element, wherein the first keyset is generated by the secure element from a static key that is provided by the remote management server to the secure element and to the over-the-air programming server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the providing of the static key to the secure element by the remote management server is based on another over-the-air programming message that utilizes short message service transport protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing, by the secure processing system, a request to the secure element for the first keyset responsive to a determination that the over-the-air programming message has been encrypted; and

obtaining, by the secure processing system, the first keyset from the secure element.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising retransmitting, by the secure processing system, the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message to the secure element.

10. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

decrypting an encrypted over-the-air programming message that includes programming data, utilizing a first keyset at secure processing device to generate a first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message, wherein the first keyset is obtained from a remote management server via transmission by an over-the-air programming server; and

forwarding the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message to a secure element, wherein the forwarding of the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message to the secure element enables the secure element to further decrypt the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message utilizing a second keyset, and wherein the secure processing device does not have access to the second keyset.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the encrypted over-the-air programming message is obtained from a service provisioning system, and wherein the encrypted over-the-air programming message is encrypted by the service provisioning system utilizing the second keyset.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the encrypted over-the-air programming message is provided to the secure processing device according to a hypertext transfer protocol.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first-keyset decrypted over-the-air programming message is forwarded to the secure element according to a provisioning schedule.

14. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the provisioning schedule is determined by the secure processing device.

15. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining the encrypted over-the-air programming message from a service provisioning system;

obtaining a request from the service provisioning system to provide the encrypted over-the-air programming message to another communication device;

determining that the another communication device is not registered with the remote management server; and

providing a notice to the service provisioning system indicating that a secure device processor of the another communication device is not registered with the over-the-air programming server.

16. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a response to the encrypted over-the-air programming message;

decrypting the response utilizing the first keyset to generate a first-keyset decrypted response; and

providing the first-keyset decrypted response to a service provisioning system that originated the encrypted over-the-air programming message.

17. A communication device comprising:

a secure processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the secure processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

decrypting an over-the-air programming message utilizing a first key to obtain a first-key decrypted over-the-air programming message, wherein the over-the-air programming message includes programming data for provisioning the communication device, and wherein the first key is obtained from a remote device via an over-the-air transmission; and

providing the first-key decrypted over-the-air programming message to a secure element, wherein the providing of the first-key decrypted over-the-air programming message to the secure element enables the secure element to further decrypt the first-key decrypted over-the-air programming message utilizing a second key, and wherein the secure processing system does not have access to the second key.

18. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a static key via a remote management server, wherein the remote management server provides the static key to an over-the-air programming server that provides the over-the-air programming message to the secure processing system; and

generating the first key from the static key.

19. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the secure element comprises a universal integrated circuit card, and wherein the over-the-air programming message utilizes a hypertext transfer protocol.

20. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, by the secure processing system, a schedule for providing messages to the secure element of the communication device, wherein the secure processing system is separate from the secure element and in communication with the secure element.