Method of securing a cryptographic key
First Claim
1. In a system comprising a cryptographic key encrypted and stored in a key data file and a secured key for decrypting the cryptographic key wherein the secured key is stored in a secured fashion, a method of securing the secured key comprising the steps of:
- a) accessing stored data associated with the secured key, the data indicative of an access method from a plurality of access methods for accessing the secured key on a first computer;
b) executing the indicated access method to access the secured key;
c) selecting a method from the plurality of methods for securing the accessed secured keys the method selected to provide for access to the key data file on a second other computer;
d) securing the accessed secured key according to the selected access method; and
,e) storing data associated with the secured key, the data indicative of the selected access method.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is disclosed for improving portability of secure encryption key data files. The method provides for re-securing key data files according to different security processes for mobility. For porting an encryption key secured using a fingerprint authentication process to a system having only a password authentication process, a user selects password authentication process, provides a fingerprint and is authorised, provides a new password and then the encryption key is accessed according to the fingerprint authentication process and secured according to the password authentication process. This allows the use of specialised security hardware at one location while retaining an ability to transport encryption keys in a secure fashion to other locations, which do not have similar security hardware.
188 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a system comprising a cryptographic key encrypted and stored in a key data file and a secured key for decrypting the cryptographic key wherein the secured key is stored in a secured fashion, a method of securing the secured key comprising the steps of:
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a) accessing stored data associated with the secured key, the data indicative of an access method from a plurality of access methods for accessing the secured key on a first computer; b) executing the indicated access method to access the secured key; c) selecting a method from the plurality of methods for securing the accessed secured keys the method selected to provide for access to the key data file on a second other computer; d) securing the accessed secured key according to the selected access method; and
,e) storing data associated with the secured key, the data indicative of the selected access method. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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6. In a system comprising a cryptographic key encrypted and stored in a key data file and a secured key for decrypting the cryptographic key wherein the secured key is stored in a secured fashion, a method of securing the secured key comprising the steps of:
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a) accessing stored data associated with the secured key, the data indicative of an access method from a plurality of access methods for accessing the secured key; b) executing the indicated access method to access the secured key; c) selecting a method from the plurality of methods for securing the accessed secured key; d) securing the accessed secured key according to the selected access method; e) storing data associated with the secured ken the data indicative of the selected access method; wherein the accessed secured key is secured by the steps of; providing user authentication information; deriving from the user authentication information a second cryptographic key; and encrypting the accessed secured key using the second cryptographic key. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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12. A method of accessing a secured cryptographic key comprising the steps of:
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a) accessing data associated with the secured cryptographic key to determine an authorisation method necessary to access the secured cryptographic key; b) providing user authorisation information; c) executing the determined authorisation method to access the secured cryptographic key based on the user authorisation information provided. - View Dependent Claims (13, 15)
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14. A method of accessing a secured cryptographic key comprising the steps of:
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a) accessing data associated with the secured cryptographic key to determine an authorisation method necessary to access the secured cryptographic key; b) providing user authorisation information; c) executing the determined authorisation method to access the secured cryptographic key based on the user authorisation information provided; wherein the step (c) comprises the step of; decrypting the secured cryptographic key using a cryptographic key determined from the provided authorisation information.
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16. A method of securing portable key data including encryption key information comprising the steps of:
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a) selecting a first authorisation process from a plurality of authorisation processes for securing the portable key data; b) authenticating access to the secured portable key data according to a different authorisation process, removing the security from the portable key data, and implementing security of the portable key data according to the first authorisation process. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification