USER AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENCRYPTION AND DECRYPTION

• US 20110078780A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: MAZ Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Zizzi, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 : involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 : involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 : Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 : Sorting

Abstract

A system configured to authenticate a user for encryption or decryption includes a user authentication apparatus, a computer-readable medium operable to communicate with the user authentication apparatus, and an encryption and decryption computer communicating with the user authentication apparatus. The computer-readable medium may store user identifying information and encryption and decryption data. The encryption and decryption computer may be configured to receive an application programming interface (API) for interfacing with the user authentication apparatus and receive the user identifying information from the computer-readable medium via the API. A user may be authenticated based on the user identifying information and, once the user is authenticated, the encryption and decryption data may be read.

Claims

1. A system configured to authenticate a user for encryption or decryption, the system comprising:

a user authentication apparatus;

a computer-readable medium storing user identifying information and encryption and decryption data; and

an encryption and decryption computer communicating with the user authentication apparatus and configured to;

receive an application programming interface (API) for interfacing with the user authentication apparatus;

receive from the computer-readable medium via the API the user identifying information;

authenticate a user based on the user identifying information; and

read via the API the encryption and decryption data once the user is authenticated.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the encryption and decryption data are encryption and decryption keys.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the encryption and decryption keys are stored in a definable hierarchy.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is a smart card reader.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer-readable medium is a smart card.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the user authentication apparatus is a biometric recognition system.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the user identifying information is biometric information.

8. A method for authenticating a user for encryption or decryption, the method comprising:

interfacing at an encryption and decryption computer with a user authentication apparatus for authenticating a user;

storing on a computer-readable medium at the encryption and decryption computer encryption and decryption data;

receiving user identifying information at the user authentication apparatus;

authenticating a user based on the user identifying information;

once the user is authenticated, reading the encryption and decryption data at the encryption and decryption computer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user authentication apparatus is a biometric recognition system and the user identifying information is biometric information.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising storing on the computer-readable medium the user identifying information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the user authentication apparatus is a smart card reader and the computer-readable medium is a smart card.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising wirelessly interfacing with the user authentication apparatus.