EP0576224A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cryptographic key management apparatus and method
Assignee: NCR International Inc
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Filing: 1993-06-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-06-18
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides for a cryptographic key management method and apparatus in which the cryptographic keys are provided as vector keys characterized in that they comprise a key value and control information for specifying the use to which the key can be put by members of a communications domain. Each domain member is associated with at least one pair of vector keys and the keys in each pair share the same key value. One of the keys in each pair is provided as a public key and specified for encrypting, or verifying the seal of, messages sent from the domain member associated therewith and the other is provided as a private key and specified for decrypting, or generating a seal for, messages sent to the domain member associated therewith.
Inventors
- 👤 Johannes Petrus Kruys
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 08:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/08; H04L9/088
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
Cryptographic key management apparatus having a plurality of key means for a plurality of members of a communications domain, each key means comprising a cryptographic key value and control information specifying key usage, characterized in that said plurality of key means comprises a plurality of domain vector keys each paired with a member vector key, each pair of vector keys sharing the same cryptographic key value and the domain vector keys being specified as public keys for data encryption and data seal verification and the member vector keys being specified as private keys for data decryption and data seal generation, wherein said plurality of domain vector keys are located in store means accessible to said plurality of domain members and each domain member is associated with at least one of said pairs, and in that a plurality of master keys are provided to protect the plurality of vector keys.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by vector key processor means for receiving said master keys and for controlling said data encryption and data decryption.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said vector key processor means is arranged to load said domain vector keys and member vector keys into a cryptographic processor in which said encryption and decryption is performed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said vector key processor means and said cryptographic processor are provided on a single integrated circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said communication domain is arranged to delimit the scope of use of said vector keys.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said master keys comprise a domain master key shared by said domain members to protect said domain vector keys and a plurality of member master keys each of which is unique to a respective domain member to protect the respective member vector key of each domain member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cryptographic key value and said control information of each vector key is arranged as a single data structure.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of managing cryptograhpic keys having a key value and control information for specifying the use of the keys by members of a communications domain, characterized by arranging the cryptographic keys as public and private key pairs which share the same key value, associating at least one pair with each domain member, specifying each pubic key for data encryption and data seal verification and each private key for data decryption and data seal generation, locating the cryptographic keys in store means accessible to all domain members and by providing master keys to protect the cryptographic keys.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 8, characterized in that message encryption and decryption is carried out in a cryptographic processor into which the cryptographic keys are loaded from a vector key processor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said communications domain delimits the scope of use of the cryptographic keys.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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