International Business Machines Corporation

Roger Reider

Lolo Lasida

Paresh Patel

Ku Lee

Drew Kittel

Hiroshi Maruyama

Robert B Carroll

Hamid Bacha

Khalid A Asad

Mark Fisk

Robert Burns

Hatem Ghafir

Dieter Poetzschke

Larry An

Robert Briggs

Srinivasa Kasturi

Raymond Good

Amit Pamecha

A secure-end-to-end communication system for electronic business system and method of operation, e.g., the Internet, includes a web server&mdash;vault controller having personal storage vaults in the controller for users, registration and certification authorities. Each personal vault runs programs on the controller under a unique UNIX user ID. Data storage is provided by the controller wherein the storage is owned by the same user ID assigned to the vault. A registration authority running as a software application in the controller processes requests to issue, renew and revoke digital certificates issued by a certification authority using two pairs of public-private keys. The registration authority interacts with the vault controller to decide whether an applicant qualifies to receive a digital certificate. The certification authority running as software application in the controller includes a certificate management system that provides services such as issuing, revoking, suspending, resuming, and renewing a user's right to digital certificates.

Secure server using public key registration and methods of operation

A secure end-to-end communications system includes a vault controller based registration application for managing the issuance and administration of digital certificates for use in conducting electronic commerce in the system. The system includes an end user terminal and a registration authority terminal coupled to a vault controller through the system. A registration application executable in the controller utilizes SSL and dedicated vaults to process requests for digital certificates from end users on an automated or manual basis. The registration application includes an enrollment module which implements the process of applying for and receiving certificates; an RA desk top module which allows an administrator to review certificate requests and manage certificates; a master Registration Authority (RA) module which conducts the processing of requests and the generation of certificates; and an RA (Registration Authority) database serves as a repository of information about applicants, certificate requests, and their processing history.

Vault controller based registration application serving web based registration authorities and end users for conducting electronic commerce in secure end-to-end distributed information system

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Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

Roger Reider