Method, system, and program product for encrypting information

• US 7,760,915 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2006
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Polozoff, Alexandre, Hamilton, Rick A. II, Bhogal, Kulvir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desire; Gregory M
• Application Number:
  US11/539,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20080085035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/454, 345/179, 380/44, 380/243, 380/258, 382/115, 382/186, 382/187, 382/314, 713/156, 713/168, 713/170, 715/541
• US Class Current: 382/115
• 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 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

The invention provides a method, system, and program product for encrypting information. In one embodiment, the invention includes prompting a user for a password associated with a digital signature certificate stored in a digital pen, capturing a handwritten password made using the digital pen, displaying to the user the captured password, and encrypting information entered using the digital pen using the captured password. In some embodiments, the password may be captured from a predefined field on a digital page.

Claims

1. A method for encrypting information, comprising:

capturing a handwritten password made using a digital pen; and

encrypting information entered using the digital pen using the captured password by;

activating an encryption command on the digital pen;

entering handwritten information to be encrypted using the digital pen; and

deactivating an encryption command on the digital pen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user for a password associated with a digital signature certificate stored in the digital pen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handwritten password is captured from a predefined field on a digital page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing includes:

activating a password command on the digital pen;

entering a handwritten password using the digital pen; and

deactivating the password command on the digital pen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying to a user the captured password.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying includes displaying using the digital pen.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

prompting the user to confirm the captured password.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein encrypting includes:

encrypting a first portion of the information using a first password; and

encrypting a second portion of the information using a second password.

9. A system for encrypting information, comprising:

a system for capturing a handwritten password made using a digital pen; and

a system for encrypting information entered using the digital pen using the captured password, the system for encrypting permitting a user to;

activate an encryption command on the digital pen;

enter handwritten information to be encrypted using the digital pen; and

deactivate an encryption command on the digital pen.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a system for prompting a user for a password associated with a digital signature certificate stored in the digital pen.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the handwritten password is captured from a predefined field on a digital page.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the system for capturing includes:

a system for activating a password command on the digital pen;

a system for entering a handwritten password using the digital pen; and

a system for deactivating the password command on the digital pen.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a system for displaying to a user the captured password; and

a system for prompting the user to confirm the captured password.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the system for encrypting includes:

a system for encrypting a first portion of the information using a first password; and

a system for encrypting a second portion of the information using a second password.

15. A program product stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, encrypts information, the program product comprising:

program code for capturing a handwritten password made using a digital pen; and

program code for encrypting information entered using the digital pen using the captured password, including;

program code for permitting a user to activate an encryption command on the digital pen;

program code for permitting a user to enter handwritten information to be encrypted using the digital pen; and

program code for permitting a user to deactivate an encryption command on the digital pen.

16. The program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program code for prompting a user for a password associated with a digital signature certificate stored in the digital pen.

17. The program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program code for displaying to a user the captured password.

18. A method for deploying an application for encrypting information, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

capture a handwritten password made using a digital pen; and

encrypt information entered using the digital pen using the captured password by permitting a user to;

activate an encryption command on the digital pen;

enter handwritten information to be encrypted using the digital pen; and

deactivate an encryption command on the digital pen.