Configuring a valid duration period for a digital certificate

• US 9,124,576 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SecureAuth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SecureAuth Incorporated
• Inventors: Grajek, Garret Florian, Moore, Stephen, Lambiase, Mark V., Lund, Craig J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOLLY, KENDALL LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/459,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20150033022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A valid duration period for a digital certificate is established by a process that includes assigning numeric values to certificate term. The numeric value assigned to each certificate term is representative of the valid duration period. The method continues by identifying one certificate term, which may include requesting a user to select a certificate term. The method may include transmitting the requested certificate term to a server. The certificate term requested is sent via a certificate request. The server is configured to convert the numeric value associated with the requested certificate term into a duration counter value. The method may also include a certificate server receiving from the server, the certificate request including the duration counter value. The method may conclude with transmitting the signed certificate request to a client device capable of generating the digital certificate with the requested certificate term.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a valid duration period for a digital certificate having a certificate term, the method comprising:

by executed instructions in hardware processors on one or more computing devices;

assigning a numeric value for each certificate term from a plurality of certificate terms, the numeric value being representative of the valid duration period;

generating first data configured to prompt a user of a client device to input one certificate term from the plurality of certificate terms;

receiving the requested certificate term from a client device,

converting the numeric value associated with the requested certificate term into a duration counter for a certificate request;

transmitting to a certificate server the certificate request having the duration counter, the certificate server being configured to sign the certificate request; and

transmitting to the client device the signed certificate request;

in response to receiving the signed certificate request, generating, by the client device, the digital certificate having the valid duration period correspond to the numeric value associated with the requested certificate term.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of certificate terms include a long-term certificate and a short-term certificate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a server component, the server component being in communication with the client device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the client device is a mobile computing device having installed thereon a client component configured to generate the digital certificate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration counter is a computer understood time unit.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the server component is accessible by a server administrator for assigning the numeric value associated with each certificate term from the plurality of certificate terms.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the certificate server further comprises a certificate policy component, the certificate policy component being configured to access the duration counter received with the certificate request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the certificate policy component is programmed to digitally sign the certificate request with the valid duration period corresponding to the duration counter.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the client component is transmitted to the client device from the server component.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the client component is installed on the client device independent of the server component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user does not request the certificate term, the certificate term being selected automatically by the server.

12. A method for configuring a valid duration period for a digital certificate, the method comprising:

by executed instructions in hardware processors on one or more computing devices;

establishing, by a mobile client device, a communication link to a server via a web browser;

selecting a certificate term using a client component installed on the mobile client device, the certificate term being associated with a numeric value;

transmitting a certificate request to the server;

receiving on the mobile client device via the web browser a signed certificate request, the signed certificate request being signed by the server and transmitted to the mobile client device, the signed certificate request having a duration counter based on converting the numeric value; and

generating by the client component installed on the mobile client device, the digital certificate having the valid duration period correspond to the numeric value associated with the certificate term in response to receiving the signed certificate request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the certificate term is selected from a plurality of certificate terms.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the duration counter is a computer understood time unit.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of certificate terms include a long-term certificate and a short-term certificate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a client component is configured to be processed by the mobile client device for automatically selecting the certificate term based upon automated parameters existing on the mobile client device.

17. A system for configuring a valid duration period for a digital certificate, the system comprising:

a plurality of certificate terms, each certificate term having a numeric value assigned therein, the numeric value being representative of a quantity of time;

a server comprising one or more hardware computing devices, the server for storing the plurality of certificate terms, the server being configured to convert the numeric value associated with each certificate term into a duration counter, the server also being configured to generate a certificate request including the duration counter,

wherein the server is configured to request one certificate term from the plurality of certificate terms from a mobile client device, the server further configured to direct the mobile client device to generate the digital certificate having the valid duration period corresponding to the numeric value for the requested certificate term upon receiving the signed certificate request; and

a certificate server for signing the certificate request including the duration counter and for transmitting the signed certificate request to the mobile client device.

18. A system for configuring a valid duration period for a digital certificate, the system comprising:

a plurality of certificate terms, each certificate term having a numeric value assigned therein, the numeric value being representative of a quantity of time;

a server for storing the plurality of certificate terms, the server being configured to convert the numeric value associated with each certificate term into a duration counter, the server also being configured to generate a certificate request including the duration counter,

wherein the server is configured to request one certificate term from the plurality of certificate terms from a mobile client device, the server further configured to direct the mobile client device to generate the digital certificate having the valid duration period corresponding to the numeric value for the requested certificate term upon receiving the signed certificate request; and

a certificate server for signing the certificate request including the duration counter.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the numeric value assigned to each certificate term is variable.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a server component on the server for assigning the numeric value for each certificate term.