System and method for remote device registration

• US 20070021843A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Certicom Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Neill, Brian, Vadekar, Ashok, Xu, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/04 Masking or blinding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• 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 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB

Abstract

A system and method for remote device registration, to monitor and meter the injection of keying or other confidential information onto a device, is provided. A producer who utilizes one or more separate manufacturers, operates a remote module that communicates over forward and backward channels with a local module at the manufacturer. Encrypted data transmissions are sent by producer to the manufacturer and are decrypted to obtain sensitive data used in the devices. As data transmissions are decrypted, credits from a credit pool are depleted and can be replenished by the producer through credit instructions. As distribution images are decrypted, usage records are created and eventually concatenated, and sent as usage reports back to the producer, to enable the producer to monitor and meter production at the manufacturer.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling the injection of sensitive data into a device during production thereof said method comprising the steps of.

a controller preparing and cryptographically protecting said sensitive data in a data transmission;

said controller sending said data transmission to a server, said server having a secure module for performing cryptographic operations;

said secure module extracting said sensitive data from said data transmission; and

said server providing said sensitive data to equipment for injection into said device;

wherein said controller is located remote from the server.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of said secure module preparing a log report regarding the usage of said sensitive data for said controller.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said step of extracting comprises said secure module decrypting a header included in said data transmission to obtain a key, and using said key to decrypt said transmission and extract said data therefrom.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein upon sending said data transmission, said controller generates a first log record, said first log record being stored by said controller for comparison with said log report;

and wherein upon providing said data to said equipment, said secure module generates a second log record indicating the distribution of said data to said equipment, said second log record being included in said log report.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of said server receiving a third log record from said equipment indicative of the injection of said data into said device, said third log record being included in said log report.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a provisioning procedure executed prior to said controller preparing and protecting said data, said provisioning procedure being used to initialize said server and said secure module.

7. A method according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of servers, said step of sending said data transmission comprises sending said data transmission to said plurality of servers.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of said controller providing a credit instruction to said server indicating a credit value for updating the value of a credit pool, said credit value representing the number of data elements of said data transmission from which the secure module may extract said sensitive data.

9. A method according to claim 6 wherein upon extracting said data from said data transmission, said secure module consumes credit from said credit pool thereby decreasing the value of said credit pool.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein prior to said step of preparing, said method further comprises the steps of said controller receiving an object for implementing an existing data injection solution, said existing solution modifying said data;

said controller signing said object and sending said signed object to said secure module;

said secure module storing said signed object, verifying said signed object, and modifying said data according to said existing solution if said signed object verifies; and

sending said modified data to said equipment for injection into said device.

11. A method according to claim 2 wherein said data transmission includes a plurality of types of sensitive data and said secure module obtaining certain ones of said types according to permissions established by said controller.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein said log report includes an indication of which one of said types has been provided by said secure module to said equipment.

13. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of said controller sending a configuration message to said secure module for use in modifying settings thereof

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein said log report is obtained by said controller using a poll initiated by one of said server and said controller.

15. A method according to claim 4 wherein upon comparison of said first log record with said log report, said controller provides a further data transmission if said log report is favourable and additional data is required, and said controller provides a instruction to inhibit further extraction of said data from any previous transmission if said log report is not favourable.

16. A method according to claim 2 wherein said sensitive data is a plurality of keys, said transmission including a quantity of said keys encrypted by a secure module of said controller;

and said step of extracting said data includes decrypting a specific one of said keys as indicated by instructions provided by said controller a priori.

17. A system for remotely controlling the injection of sensitive data into a device during production thereof, said system comprising:

a controller having a first secure module for performing cryptographic operations;

a server located remote from said controller and connected thereto by a forward channel and a back channel, said forward channel used by said controller for providing a data transmission to a second secure module of said server, said data transmission cryptographically protecting said sensitive data, said second secure module extracting said data from said transmission; and

an agent operating with equipment used for injecting said data upon extraction from said transmission, said agent obtaining said data from said second secure module.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein said second secure module prepares a log report regarding the usage of said sensitive data and providing said log report to said controller over said back channel.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein said controller further comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) for configuring itself and said server and monitoring said log report.

20. A system according to claim 17 wherein said first secure module comprises an encryption key for encrypting a data key in a header of said data transmission;

said second secure module comprises a decryption key for decrypting said data key; and

wherein said second secure module uses said data key to decrypt said transmission for extracting said data therefrom.

21. A system according to claim 18 wherein said controller further comprises a first data storage device for storing said data prior to preparing said data transmission, said data being stored in a secure manner;

and said server further comprises a second data storage device for storing said data transmission prior to extracting said data therefrom.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein upon sending said data transmission, said controller generates a first log record and stores said first log record in said first storage device for later comparison with said log report;

and wherein upon providing said data to said equipment, said second secure module generates a second log record indicating distribution of said data to said equipment and storing said second log record in said second storage device for including in said log report.

23. A system according to claim 22 wherein said agent generates a third log record indicative of the injection of said data into said device, said agent sending said third log record to said second secure module for including in said log report.

24. A system according to claim 17 wherein said controller executes a provisioning procedure prior to preparing and protecting said data, said provisioning procedure being used to initialize said server and said first and second secure modules.

25. A system according to claim 17 comprising a plurality of servers, said controller sending said data transmission by sending said data transmission to said plurality of servers.

26. A system according to claim 17 further comprising a credit instruction generated by said controller indicating a credit value for updating the value of a credit pool stored securely by said second secure module, said controller sending said credit instruction to said second secure module, said credit value representing the number of data elements of a data transmission from which said second secure module may extract said sensitive data.

27. A system according to claim 26 wherein upon extracting said data from said data transmission, said second secure module consumes a credit from said credit pool thereby decreasing the value of said credit pool.

28. A system according to claim 21 further comprising at least one signed object stored by said second secure module in said second storage device, said signed object created by said controller signing an object for implementing an existing data injection solution and sending said signed object to said second secure module, said existing solution modifying said data;

and wherein said second secure module verifying said signed object, modifying said data according to said existing solution if said signed object verifies; and

sending said modified data to said equipment for injection into said device.

29. A system according to claim 18 wherein said data transmission is prepared by said first secure module including a plurality of different types of sensitive data, and said second secure module obtains certain ones of said types according to permissions established by said controller.

30. A system according to claim 29 wherein said log report includes an indication of which one of said types has been provided by said second secure module to said equipment.

31. A system according to claim 17 wherein said controller generates and sends a configuration message to said secure module for use in modifying settings thereof.

32. A system according to claim 18 wherein said log report is obtained by said controller using a poll initiated by one of said server and said controller.

33. A system according to claim 22 wherein upon comparison of said first log record with said log report, said controller provides a further data transmission if said log report is favourable and additional data is required by said agent, and said controller provides an instruction to inhibit further extraction of said data from any previous transmission if said log report is not favourable.

34. A system according to claim 18 wherein said sensitive data is a plurality of keys, said transmission including a quantity of said keys encrypted by said first secure module;

and a specific one of said keys is decrypted by said second secure module as indicated by instructions provided by said controller a priori.

35. A system according to claim 34 wherein said second secure module decrypts said block of keys upon receipt thereof and individually re-encrypts each key;

and wherein certain ones of said keys are decrypted for use by said equipment upon a request made by said agent.

36. A system according to claim 17 wherein said first and second secure modules contain symmetric keys for communicating over the forward and backward communication channels.