OPAQUE MESSAGE ARCHIVES

• US 20080065891A1
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Surescripts, LLC (SureScripts-RxHub LLC)
• Original Assignee: Enli Health Intelligence Corp. (Cedar Gate Partners Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Sponaugle, Jeffrey, Karamchedu, Murali
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]

Abstract

A system includes a server equipped to generate a split encryption key having at least a first key portion and a second key portion, that is used by the server to encrypt at least a portion of a message. Additionally, the first key portion of the split encryption key is retained by the server, while the second key portion of the split encryption key is delivered to a sending client and is discarded from the server. The sending client in turn provides the second key portion to one or more recipients of the message to facilitate recipient access to the message.

Claims

1. In a server, a method comprising:

receiving from a sending client, a request to encrypt at least a first portion of a message generated by the sending client;

generating a split encryption key comprising at least a first key portion and a second key portion;

encrypting at least the first portion of the message, using the split encryption key;

providing the first key portion to the sending client;

storing the encrypted portion of the message and the second key portion on the server; and

discarding the first key portion from the server.

2. In a sending client, a method comprising:

sending to a server, a request to encrypt at least a first part of a message generated by the sending client,

receiving from the server, a message identifier corresponding to the message, and a first key portion of a split encryption key to be used by the server to encrypt the message;

sending at least the first part of the message to the server in association with the message identifier and the first key portion, wherein

at least the first part of the message is encrypted on the server by using the split encryption key, the encrypted part of the message and a second key portion of the split encryption key are stored on the server, and the first key portion is discarded from the server; and

sending the first key portion to one or more recipients to facilitate access by the one or more recipients to at least the first part of the message from the server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first key portion and the message identifier are each generated by the server based at least in part upon a randomized seed value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the randomized seed value is generated by the sending client.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the randomized seed value is generated by the server.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

depositing the message identifier and the first key portion into a mail folder on the sending client.

7. A system comprising:

a server equipped to

generate a split encryption key for encrypting a message generated by a sending client, the split encryption key comprising at least a first key portion and a second key portion,

store the encrypted message and the first key portion,

provide the second key portion to the sending client, and

discard the second key portion from the server; and

the sending client equipped to

receive the second key portion from the server, and provide the second key portion to a recipient to facilitate access to the message by the recipient.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein programming instructions designed to enable the apparatus to;

receive from a sending client, a request to encrypt at least a first portion of a message generated by the sending client;

generate a split encryption key comprising at least a first key portion and a second key portion;

encrypt at least the first portion of the message, using the split encryption key;

provide the first key portion to the sending client;

store the encrypted portion of the message and the second key portion; and

discard the first key portion from the server.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein programming instructions designed to enable the apparatus to;

send to a server, a request to encrypt at least a first part of a message generated by the apparatus,

receive from the server, a message identifier corresponding to the message, and a first key portion of a split encryption key to be used by the server to encrypt the message;

send at least the first part of the message to the server in association with the message identifier and the first key portion, wherein

at least the first part of the message is encrypted on the server by using the split encryption key, the encrypted part of the message and at least a second key portion of the split encryption key are stored on the server, and the first key portion is discarded from the server; and

send the first key portion to one or more recipients to facilitate access by the one or more recipients to at least the first part of the message from the server.