Entrust Corporation

Entrust Technologies Limited

Timothy E Moses

Sharon Marie Boeyen

Paul C Van Oorschot

Glenn C Langford

Adrian O Mancini

Ronald J Vandergeest

A method and apparatus provides a blockchain that includes one or more blocks that contain a cryptographic binding of a signature-verification public key and/or a data encryption public key to the identity of the holder of the corresponding private key. The binding is performed by one or more key binding entities, referred to herein as a blockchain identity binder. Originators and recipients use the identity binding data to secure block chain transactions.

Methods and apparatus for providing blockchain participant identity binding

A constrained device includes an exterior surface affixed with a public key associated with the constrained device. Alternatively, or in addition, the public key may be included in a container that stores the constrained device. The constrained device also includes memory, which stores a private key, wherein the private key corresponds to the public key that is affixed on the exterior surface of the constrained device. By displaying the public key on the constrained device, a system administrator may document the public key and related information about the device and its intended role in the network without requiring any human interface or any establishment of power or network at the installation site.

Low friction device enrollment

In one example, an apparatus such as an authorization server and method for secure communication between constrained devices issues cryptographic communication rights among a plurality of constrained devices. Each of the plurality of constrained devices comprises no more than one cryptographic algorithm code module per cryptographic function. The method includes receiving a cryptographic communication rights request associated with at least a first of the plurality of constrained devices in response to a cryptographic algorithm update request, and includes providing a response including an identification of a subset of the plurality of constrained devices that have cryptographic communication rights with the identified first of the plurality of constrained devices. A software update server then updates the cryptographic code modules in the sub-set of the plurality of constrained devices.

Method and apparatus for providing secure communication among constrained devices

In one example, an enrollment device, such as a smart phone with an enrollment application executing thereon, obtains in situ enrollment information from at least one or more target device of a plurality of target devices in a network. The enrollment device provides the in situ enrollment information that is obtained from the at least one target device, to a security management device, such as a public key certificate generator (e.g., a certification authority) for the network, to facilitate target device configuration certificate generation for the at least one target device. The security management device uses the in situ enrollment information and other device specific information as well as operational information that is desired for a device, and issues a configuration certificate for the at least one target device. A system and methods are also set forth.

System, method and apparatus for providing enrollment of devices in a network

An electronic transaction evidence archive apparatus and method archives electronic transaction evidence, such as public key based electronic transaction evidence on behalf of a first party. The apparatus and method determines redundant electronic transaction evidence and removes the redundant electronic transaction evidence prior to archival. In one embodiment, the electronic transaction evidence archive apparatus and method indexes received electronic transaction evidence and archives the indexed data elements thereof. When a subsequent archival request is made, the apparatus and method evaluates the index data to determine redundant electronic transaction evidence and discards redundant information to save memory resources. The first party provides the electronic transaction evidence in, for example, an archive evidence bundle, which includes data elements related to a single transaction.

Apparatus and method for electronic transaction evidence archival and retrieval

A method and apparatus for public key certificate updates is accomplished when a user of a secured communications system provides, from time to time, a public key certificate update subscription update to a server. The public key certificate update subscription information identifies at least one subscriber subject (i.e., another end-user) that the user desires to obtain real time public key updates when they occur. In response to the subscription information, the server monitors public key certificates of the at least one subscriber subject. When a change occurs to the public key certificate of the at least one subscriber, the server provides an indication of the change to the requesting user. As such, while the user is on-line with the secured communications system, the server can provide the user with real-time updates of subscriber subjects' encryption public key certificates and/or signature public key certificates. In addition, or as an alternative, to providing the subscription information, the user may provide an indication of a local replica of the public key certificates that it has stored to the server. Upon receiving the replica, the server determines whether the user's replica is consistent with the system's most current public key certificates of the subscriber subjects. If the user's replica is consistent with the current public key certificate, the server provides no response to the user or provides a response indicating that the user's list is current. If, however, the user's replica is not consistent with the current public key certificate, the server provides an indication of the differences to the user. The indication allows the user to update its local lists to be consistent with the most current public key certificate list.

Method and apparatus for obtaining status of public key certificate updates

An apparatus and method facilitates information security policy control for an information security engine by utilizing security policy association data on a per security engine user basis. Security policy association data may include, for example, data representing identification information of the user of the security engine along with corresponding policy identification data. Policy user identification data may be a hash value of the disk image of an executable software application which uses the security engine, along with policy object identification data which indicates which policy (or policies) that particular application is required to use. A security engine obtains access to this information and also obtains comparison information such as generating a realtime hash value of a calling application that is requesting use of the security engine and compares the newly generated hash value to a stored hash value included as the policy association data. If the hash values match, indicating that the calling application has been previously approved by the trusted policy authority, the policy rules referenced by the policy association data are then employed by the security engine.

Method and apparatus for facilitating information security policy control on a per security engine user basis

A method and system for notarizing digital data, such as digital signature data, determines a subscriber compromised distribution latency period prior to authenticating the digital data. Upon receiving a notarization request, the system and method stores the digital data for notarization and holds the evidence or digital data for the latency period and as such waits to notarize the digital data in response to the subscriber compromise distribution latency period.

Method and system for notarizing digital signature data in a system employing cryptography based security

A method and apparatus for accessing user specific encryption information is accomplished upon receiving a request for access to user specific encryption information from a requesting entity. Based on the identity of the requesting entity and/or the type of request, a server determines the requesting entity's authorized level of access to user specific encryption information. Based on the authorized level of access, the requesting entity is provided with controlled access to the user specific information.

Method and apparatus for access to user-specific encryption information

A certificate management system and method allows a requester, such as a subscriber using a software application, to customize certificates by selecting variable certificate content specification data. A certificate issuing unit, such as a certification authority issues a variable content based certificate in response to the requester based variable certificate content specification data, after the variable certificate content specification data has been compared with issuance criteria data to ensure that the requested certificate customization parameters do not conflict with security system constraints, such as security limits. The issuance criteria data is configurable by a security officer or other user through the certificate issuing unit. If desired, each differing software application (i.e., requester) may have its own customized certificates allowing greater flexibility for the security system and for the requesters.

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Kanata, Canada

Timothy E Moses