Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Thomas C Kerr

Kenneth Wagner Aull

Mark A Bellmore

William Edward Freeman

A method and computer program to assign certificates/private keys to a token. This method and computer program allows a user to access a certificate authority and have certificates/private keys that are used for signature, encryption and role purposes generated and downloaded to the token. The use of secure communication lines and computers is not necessary since the token contains a unique token ID and private key, while the certificate authority contains the associated public key for the token. The certificate generated is wrapped in the public key and only the token, having the associated private key, may activate the certificate.

Assignment of user certificates/private keys in token enabled public key infrastructure system

A method and computer program to revoke and update a token () having several encryption, signature and role certificates/private keys contained in the token (). The certificates/private keys in the tokenare transmitted wrapped by a public key and may only be activated by a private key contained in the token (). The activation of any certificate/private key requires the entry of a passphrase by a user (). Further, all certificates/private keys contained in a token () are stored in an authoritative database. In the event that a token () is lost then all certificates/private keys associated with the token () are revoked. Further, when new certificates/private keys are issued to a user () these certificates/private keys are encrypted using the token's () public key and downloaded to the token ().

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Fairfax Station, VA, United States of America

Thomas C Kerr