EP0484603A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Non-repudiation in computer networks
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1990-11-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-11-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention supplements the use of a conventional authentication token such as a MAC or DSG, to provide very strong evidence of the origin of an electronic message. A new type of authentication token, known as the 'Non-Repudiation Vector' (NRV) is attached to each message sent across a data network. The NRV cryptographically links each message sent or received by a particular data processor on the network to previous and subsequent messages handled by that data processor, to create a chain of cryptographically linked messages. The burden of proof for the repudiation of a message is transferred to the sender of a message, who must demonstrate how the sending data processor could have moved through the time period during which the disputed message was sent, without generating the NRV corresponding to the disputed message.
Inventors
- 👤 Christopher James George Holloway
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 08:53
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/10; G07F7/1016; H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/32; H04L9/3234; H04L9/3236; H04L9/3242; H04L2209/00; H04L2209/56
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A data processor (10), connectable to a network of other data processors (20,30), comprising: means (300), when connected to the network, for sending a message to a second data processor forming part of the network; and characterised by: means (310) for cryptographically combining information derived from the message (600), information (612, 613, 614, 615) derived from one or more previous messages transferred between the first data processor and the second or another data processor forming part of the network, and secret information (611) held by the firstmentioned data processor, to produce a token (540) to be associated with the message.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A data processor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means (300) for sending the token with the message to the second data processor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A data processor as claimed in any preceding claim, in which some or all of the information derived from the one or more previous messages is derived from the token associated with that message or messages.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A data processor as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising: means (140) for generating an authentication token (580) from the message and its associated token, thereby cryptographically associating the message and the token; and means for sending the authentication token to the receiver of the message.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A data processor as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the token comprises control information (510), information derived from the current message, information derived from the previous message in the current transaction, and information derived from the last message sent by the data processor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A data processor as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a store (340) for storing secret information derived from the token or the associated message or both.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A data processor as claimed in claim 6, in which, non-secret information derived from the message or its assocaiated token or both is stored in the store, and in which the data processor further comprises means for enciphering some or all of the information to be stored.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A data processor as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, in which each entry in the store is linked to an adjacent entry in the store; and information is stored in the store in chronological order.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A data processor as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, in which each entry in the store corresponding to a message forming part of a transaction comprising a plurality of messages is linked to the previous message in that transaction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A data processor as claimed in any of claims 6 to 9, in which each entry in the store is linked to the entry corresponding to the last message sent by the data processor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A data processor as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising means (400), when connected to the network, for receiving a message sent by a data processor forming part of the network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A data network (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60) comprising a plurality of data processors (10, 20, 30) as claimed in any preceding claim, and means (40, 50, 60) connecting the data processors for the transfer of messages therebetween.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0246823A2
Cited
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