Establishing initial PuK-linked account database

• US 6,957,336 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2003
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Lynn Henry, Wheeler, Anne M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US10/248,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 990 Days
• Field of Search: 713155-157, 713/166, 713/171, 713/176, 713/177, 713/200, 713/172, 713/175, 380/282, 380/285, 380/229, 380/277, 705/64, 705/67, 705/71, 708/135, 710/36, 711/150, 711/163, 709/229
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3558 Preliminary personalisation for transfer to user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 : Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 : using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 : the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 : Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : 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 63/062 : 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 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 : Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 : involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures

Abstract

An initial Puk-linked account database is established by (a) maintaining the database in a secure environment, (b) recording in the database for each one of a plurality of devices manufactured in the secure environment, (i) a public key of a public-private key pair of the manufactured device, and in association therewith, (ii) a Security Profile of the manufactured device, the public key and Security Profile thereby being linked together, (c) distributing the manufactured devices from the secure environment to a plurality of users, and (d) identifying the database records of said distributed devices as the initial PuK-linked account database of the users. An initial Puk-linked account database record of a user is established with each one of a plurality of third-parties in similar manner.

Claims

1. A method of establishing an initial PuK-linked account database, the PuK-linked account database associated with a plurality of devices used to generate digital signatures, comprising the steps of,

(a) maintaining the database in a secure environment, the secure environment existing outside of the plurality of devices and having a security rating,

(b) for each one of the plurality of devices, which are manufactured in a secure manufacturing environment,

(i) recording in the database

(A) a public key of a public-private key pair of the manufactured device, and in association therewith,

(B) a Security Profile of the manufactured device, wherein the Security Profile defines a security level of the manufactured device relative to other devices used to generate digital signature, the public key and Security Profile thereby being linked together, and wherein the security rating of the secure environment of the database is at least comparable to the security level of the manufactured device, and

(ii) storing a private key of the public-private key pair within the manufactured device while the manufactured device is still within the secure manufacturing environment, the manufactured device using the private key to generate digital signatures,

(c) distributing the manufactured devices from the secure manufacturing environment to a plurality of users, and

(d) identifying the database records of said distributed devices as the initial PuK-linked account database of the users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the manufactured device are distributed to potential customers and existing customers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying comprises communication from the secure environment in a secure manner the database records of said distributed manufactured devices to a third-party as the initial PuK-linked account database of the third-party.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of communicating the database records from the secure environment in a manner to the third-party comprises communicating the database records in a manner that is at least comparable to the security level of each manufactured device to which the database records pertain.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of updating the initial PuK-linked account database with customer-specific information.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising merging the initial PuK-linked account with a preexisting account database of the third-party.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating an account of the PuK-linked account database by,

(a) originating a digital signature for an electronic message utilizing a private key of one of the manufactured devices,

(b) authenticating the message using a public key,

(c) comparing the public key used to authenticate the message with the keys recorded in the initial PuK-linked account database, and

(d) when the public key matches a key recorded in a record of the initial PuK-linked account database, activating the account corresponding to that record.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the public key used to authenticate the electronic message is sent with the digital signature for the electronic message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the Security Profile includes security features and manufacturing history of the manufactured device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the secure environment and the secure manufacturing environment are the same.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the secure environment and the secure manufacturing environment are different.

21. The method of claim 8, further comprising merging the initial PuK-linked account database record of the user received by one of the third-parties with a preexisting account database record.

5. The method of clan 3, wherein said step of communicating the database records from the secure environment in a secure manner to the third-party comprises originating a digital signature for the database records and communicating the database records and digital signature to the third-party.

13. A method of establishing an initial public key-linked (PuK-linked) account database record of a user with each one of a plurality of third-parties, comprising the steps of,

(a) manufacturing devices in a secure environment, the secure environment external to the manufactured devices,

(b) for each manufactured device and before each manufactured device is released from the secure environment,

(i) generating a pair of keys used in asymmetric cryptography,

(ii) storing one of the keys within the manufactured device for utilization in generating a digital signature for an electronic message,

(iii) recording the other key and other information in a secure database maintained within the secure environment,

(c) distributing one of the manufactured devices from the secure environment to the user, and

(d) identifying the database record of said distributed manufactured device to each one of the plurality of third-parties as the initial PuK-linked account database record of the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of identifying the database record comprises communicating the database record from the secure database to each of the third-parties in a secure manner.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is a potential customer of one of the third-parties.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is an existing customer of one of the third-parties.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of identifying comprises communicating from the secure environment in a secure manner the database record of said distributed manufactured device to each of the third-parties as the initial PuK-linked account database record for the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of communicating the database record from the secure environment in a secure manner comprises communicating the database record in a manner having a defined security level greater than a comparable security level of the manufactured device to which the database record pertains.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of communicating the database record from the secure environment in a secure manner comprises originating a digital signature for the database record and communicating the database record and digital signature to each of the thirdparties.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of updating the initial PuK-linked account database record of the user received by one of the third-parties with user-specific information.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising activating an account of a PuK-linked account database of one of the third-parties by,

(a) generating a digital signature for an electronic message utilizing a private key of the manufactured device distributed to the customer,

(b) sending the electronic message and digital signature to the third-party,

(c) authenticating the message using a public key,

(d) comparing the public key used to authenticate the message with keys recorded in a PuK-linked account database of the third-party, and

(e) when the public key matches a key recorded in a record of the PuK-linked account database, activating the account corresponding to that record.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the public key used to authenticate the electronic message is sent with the digital signature for the electronic message.