Encrypted e-mail reader and responder system, method, and computer program product

• US 20020143885A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xante Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xante Corporation
• Inventors: Ross, Robert C. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for providing a encrypted email reader and responder is described. The method of distributing and initializing an encrypted electronic mail (email) software application for exchanging secure email, can include: obtaining by a first user a license for an email client software application program having public/private encryption; requesting by the first user that a second user download a reader/responder software application program in order to exchange encrypted email between the first user and the second user; downloading and installing the reader/responder software application program by the second user; sending an email by the second user to the first user including embedding an unencrypted public key by using a send key function of the reader/responder software application program; receiving the email from the second user by the first user, wherein the unencrypted public key is embedded in the email; responding by the first user by sending a second email to the first user, where the reader/responder software application program encrypts a message of the second email into an encrypted message using the unencrypted public key of the second user; receiving the second email by the second user with the encrypted message as an attachment from the first user into a third party email software application program, wherein the third party email software application program is different from the reader/responder software application program and the email client software application program; and opening by the second user the attachment to execute the reader/responder software application program operative to allow a user without the email client software to read and respond to encrypted email created and sent from a user having the email client software.

Claims

1. A method of distributing and initializing an encrypted electronic mail (email) software application for exchanging secure email, comprising the steps of:

obtaining by a first user a license for an email client software application program having public/private encryption;

requesting by said first user that a second user download a reader/responder software application program in order to exchange encrypted email between said first user and said second user;

downloading and installing said reader/responder software application program by said second user;

sending an email by said second user to said first user including embedding an unencrypted public key by using a send key function of said reader/responder software application program;

receiving said email from said second user by said first user, wherein said unencrypted public key is embedded in said email;

responding by said first user by sending a second email to said first user, where said reader/responder software application program encrypts a message of said second email into an encrypted message using said unencrypted public key of said second user;

receiving said second email by said second user with said encrypted message as an attachment from said first user into a third party email software application program, wherein said third party email software application program is different from said reader/responder software application program and said email client software application program; and

opening by said second user said attachment to execute said reader/responder software application program operative to allow a user without said email client software to read and respond to encrypted email created and sent from a user having said email client software.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

viewing by said second user said encrypted message using said reader/responder software application program including decoding said encrypted message using a private key for said second user.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

saving information about said first user into an address book database along of said second using along with an unencrypted public key for said first user.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating a new secure email including an encrypted message by said second user to send to at least one of said first user and any other user of said email client software application program to which said second user has emailed a public key and from which said second user has received a response email.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said email client software application program uses at least 128-bit public/private encryption.

6. A data processing system operative to distribute and initialize an encrypted electronic mail (email) software application for exchanging secure email, comprising:

a license module operative to obtain by a first user a license for an email client software application program having public/private encryption;

a request module operative to request by said first user that a second user download a reader/responder software application program in order to exchange encrypted email between said first user and said second user;

a download module operative to download and install said reader/responder software application program by said second user;

a send module operative to send an email by said second user to said first user including a send key function module of said reader/responder software application program operative to embed an unencrypted public key;

an email receiver module operative to receive said email from said second user by said first user, wherein said unencrypted public key is embedded in said email;

a response module operative to respond by said first user by sending a second email to said first user, wherein said reader/responder software application program includes an encryption module operative to encrypt a message of said second email into an encrypted message using said unencrypted public key of said second user;

a receipt module operative to receive said second email by said second user with said encrypted message as an attachment from said first user into a third party email software application program, wherein said third party email software application program is different from said reader/responder software application program and said email client software application program; and

execution module operative to open by said second user said attachment to execute said reader/responder software application program including a reader responder module operative to allow a user without said email client software to read and respond to encrypted email created and sent from a user having said email client software.

7. A data processing system for distributing and initializing an encrypted electronic mail (email) software application for exchanging secure email, comprising:

means for obtaining by a first user a license for an email client software application program having public/private encryption;

means for requesting by said first user that a second user download a reader/responder software application program in order to exchange encrypted email between said first user and said second user;

means for downloading and installing said reader/responder software application program by said second user;

means for sending an email by said second user to said first user including means for embedding an unencrypted public key by using a send key function of said reader/responder software application program;

means for receiving said email from said second user by said first user, wherein said unencrypted public key is embedded in said email;

means for responding by said first user by sending a second email to said first user, wherein said reader/responder software application program includes means for encrypting a message of said second email into an encrypted message using said unencrypted public key of said second user;

means for receiving said second email by said second user with said encrypted message as an attachment from said first user into a third party email software application program, wherein said third party email software application program is different from said reader/responder software application program and said email client software application program; and

means for opening by said second user said attachment to execute said reader/responder software application program including means for allowing a user without said email client software to read and respond to encrypted email created and sent from a user having said email client software.

8. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable media having program logic stored thereon, said computer program product operative to distribute and initialize an encrypted electronic mail (email) software application for exchanging secure email, comprising:

program code means for enabling a computer to obtain by a first user a license for an email client software application program having public/private encryption;

program code means for enabling the computer to request by said first user that a second user download a reader/responder software application program in order to exchange encrypted email between said first user and said second user;

program code means for enabling the computer to download and install said reader/responder software application program by said second user;

program code means for enabling the computer to send an email by said second user to said first user including program code means for enabling the computer to embed an unencrypted public key by using a send key function of said reader/responder software application program;

program code means for enabling the computer to receive said email from said second user by said first user, wherein said unencrypted public key is embedded in said email;

program code means for enabling the computer to respond by said first user by sending a second email to said first user, wherein said reader/responder software application program includes program code means for enabling the computer to encrypt a message of said second email into an encrypted message using said unencrypted public key of said second user;

program code means for enabling the computer to receive said second email by said second user with said encrypted message as an attachment from said first user into a third party email software application program, wherein said third party email software application program is different from said reader/responder software application program and said email client software application program; and

program code means for enabling the computer to open by said second user said attachment to execute said reader/responder software application program including program code means for enabling the computer to allow a user without said email client software to read and respond to encrypted email created and sent from a user having said email client software.