Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

William Edward Freeman

Mark A Bellmore

Kenneth Wagner Aull

Daniel Jacques

Thomas C Kerr

Neil Gilbert Siegel

Gregory Eugene Dossett

Thomas Michael Moses

Chimaeze Obinna Chikeka

Secure network systems and methods are provided. In an aspect of the invention, a secure network system is provided that includes a computing system that comprises a client system and a specialized NIC (network interface controller) system equipped with the capability to form a secure connection with an endpoint system and encrypt and decrypt communications between the client system and the network to which it is connected. This trusted network interface (TNI), which may present itself as a physical peripheral connected to a physical client system or a virtual peripheral connected to a virtual client system, takes the place of a client system's standard NIC, and the connection that it forms with the trusted network is negotiated and enforced externally to and independent of the client system.

Secure network systems and methods

A system is provided for managing security rights of protected data having a plurality of security groups. The system comprises a client configured to generate the protected data, wherein a user of the client is a member of a subset of the plurality of security groups. The client comprising a key generator configured to generate a plurality of security group keys, wherein each membership key is associated with a security group selected by the user of the client and a combination key generator configured to generate a combination key based on the plurality of security group keys, wherein the client is configured to encrypt the protected data with the combination key.

Data security management system and methods

A process for generating a unique, secure and printable identity document, for authenticating the use of the document, and for granting privileges based on the document, includes generating an identity certificate for an individual. This certificate incorporates a pointer to biometric and other identifying data for the individual which are stored in a reference database. The identity certificate is encoded to produce, for example, a machine-readable printable 2-dimensional barcode as an identity document. The identity document may then be used by the document holder for generation of an encoded privilege document and this, in turn, is compared with the stored reference data, including the stored biometric when the privilege is to be exercised.

Secure identity and privilege system

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 a corresponding apparatus, provide for remote, secure replacement of private keys in a private key infrastructure. The method is implemented as a secure key replacement protocol (SKRP), which includes the steps of receiving a rekey request, where the rekey request identifies a private key for replacement, authenticating the rekey request, replacing the identified private key with a SKRP key, signing the challenge with the SKRP key, and returning the signed challenge. The rekey request includes the SKRP key and the challenge.

Method and apparatus for secure key replacement

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 ().

Growing community of inventors

Sykesville, MD, United States of America

William Edward Freeman