Abstract: A method for executing trusted commands, in which a trusted command is first received from a user at a user terminal and parsed by untrusted code; then passed to a trusted computing base for execution. The trusted computing base displays some indication of what is to be done back to the user for confirmation. Confirmation of the commands prevents unauthorized modification of the commands and increases system confidence. A randomly (or pseudo-randomly) generated process identifier is employed to verify the existence of a trusted path.

Abstract: In a cryptographic system, a certificate is used to provide information regarding a client device. The certificate is blindly signed by a certifying authority to preserve the anonymity of the client device. However, information is encoded into the signature so that a content server can readily verify security attributes of the client device and make decisions regarding the delivery of electronic content to the client device based on those security attributes.

Abstract: A system for providing a trusted computer communication network including a master decision maker unit coupled to the trusted network; and at least one slave communication unit coupled to the master unit by a wide bus connection that has multiple unidirectional communication channels, and connected to a non-trusted network; wherein the trusted network is physically isolated at all times from the non-trusted network, and all data transported between the trusted network and the non-trusted network is transported between the master unit and the slave unit.

Abstract: The invention generates a temporary digital certificate with a useful life of only a few minutes to a few hours. An expiration time is attached to such temporary digital certificate by a secure computer platform that is presented with a user's smart-card. Expiration dates one or two years after the issuance of the smart-card are conventional. A digital certificate issued by a central authority is carried within the smart card and is used by the secure computer platform to generate temporary digital certificate. The temporary digital certificate functions as a proxy digital certificate that will allow the user to immediately pocket the smart card and thus avoid the possibility of forgetting it in a card reader.

Abstract: An approximate message authentication code (AMAC) which, like conventional message authentication codes, provides absolute authentication of the origin of the message, yet provides an approximate integrity check for the content of the message. The approximate integrity check will be computed probabilistically and will likely be the same for messages having only a small percentage of different bits. A distance measure on the AMACs, such as a Hamming distance measure, may be used to determine whether the number of bit differences between the messages is likely to be within an acceptable amount. The AMAC is a probabilistic checksum based on a shared key. The AMAC uses the message and a shared key as inputs. Optionally, an initial value may also be used as an input. In one version of the invention, the data in the message M are permuted and arranged (physically or logically) into a table having |A| bits in each column and T2 rows, where T is may be an odd integer.

Abstract: A voter Vi encrypts his vote content vi with a public key kPC of a counter C, then concatenates the encrypted vote content xi with a tag ti to obtain a ballot zi, then randomizes it with a random number ri to create a preprocessed text ei, and sends it and a signature si therefor to an election administrator A. The administrator A generates a blind signature di for the preprocessed text ei and sends it back to the voter Vi. The voter Vi excludes the influence of the random number ri from the blind signature di to obtain administrator signature yi, and sends vote data <zi, yi> to a counter C. The counter C verifies the validity of the administrator signature yi and, if valid, generates and publishes a vote list containing the data <zi, yi> to the voter Vi. The voter Vi checks the vote list to make sure that it contains the data <zi, yi> with his tag ti held in the ballot zi.

Abstract: Method and system for gathering, storing personal information on a server computer and releasing such information to authorized requesters. Several types of information are stored for release to different entities with appropriate authorization. Any modifications or updates are automatically notified to any authorized requesters. The requester optionally provides information about to whom and where to notify changes or updates. Such change or update notification is made by sending a notification to an electronic mailbox. A frequent unauthorized requester of information is tagged as “junk” requester, to whom no further information will be released.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for tracing a traffic event utilizing a firewall. Initially, a firewall is executed on a local computer. Next, traffic events between the local computer and a remote computer over a network are monitored utilizing the firewall. Further, the traffic events are displayed utilizing the firewall. In use, at least one of the traffic events is traced utilizing the firewall. Moreover, a map of the trace is displayed for effectively conveying information about the traffic event.

Abstract: A file may be transferred from one processor-based system to another. The file may include executable binary data together with an integrated digital signature. Each time a receiving processor-based system boots, the digital signature is automatically applied to the payload to ensure its authenticity. If the file is determined during the boot process to be corrupted, it may be automatically deleted and replaced with a predecessor file that may be maintained on the receiving system.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for enabling functions of an information handling system such as startup (i.e., boot), loading of an operating system or execution of a software application, by requiring authentication of the information handling system. A client information handling system establishes a communication link with a central system or server via a network such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet. A request for authentication is then sent to the central system by the information handling system via the communication link. The central system, upon receiving the authentication request from the information handling system, determines if the authentication request is valid, and, if valid, provides authentication of the information handling system via one or more encrypted tokens passed from the central system to the information handling system, thereby allowing the information handling system to provide or continue to provide the function, even when disconnected from the network.

Abstract: IP security is provided in a virtual private network using network address translation (NAT) by performing one or a combination of the four types of VPN NAT, including VPN NAT type a source-outbound IP NAT, VPN NAT type b destination-outbound, VPN NAT type c inbound-source IP NAT, and VPN NAT type d inbound-destination IP NAT. This involves dynamically generating NAT rules and associating them with the manual or dynamically generated (IKE) Security Associations, before beginning IP security that uses the Security Associations. Then, as IP Sec is performed on outbound and inbound datagrams, the NAT function is also performed.

Abstract: A user-configurable firewall and method in which a user-changeable security setting for a client computer is maintained by an access server through which a user accesses the public network. The user-changeable security setting can be used to specify which outside computers or network devices may access the client computer and what type of access to the client computer is allowed. If an attempt to access the client computer is made, the user-configurable security setting is checked to determine if the attempted access is allowed by the current security setting. If the attempted access is allowed by the current security setting, access is allowed to the client computer; otherwise, access is not allowed. If the user changes the user-configurable security setting, the changes to the user-configurable security setting are provided to the access server.

Abstract: Apparatus and an accompanying method, for forming and embedding a highly tamper-resistant cryptographic identifier, i.e., a watermark, within non-marked executable code, e.g., an application program, to generate a “watermarked” version of that code. Specifically, the watermark, containing, e.g., a relatively large number of separate executable routines, is tightly integrated into a flow pattern of non-marked executable code, e.g., an application program, through randomly establishing additional control flows in the executable code and inserting a selected one of the routines along each such flow. Since the flow pattern of the watermark is highly intertwined with the flow pattern of the non-marked code, the watermark is effectively impossible to either remove from the code and/or circumvent.

Abstract: A method and system for emulating a secret code between a first hardware module to a second hardware module. First, the secret code that is initially stored in the first hardware module is transformed into a transformed secret code according to a transformation pattern randomly selected from a set of possible transformation patterns. Then the transformed secret code is transferred to the second hardware module. Next, the second hardware module can repeatedly guess a hypothetical secret code from the transformed secret code by using a transformation pattern selected from the possible transformation patterns and reversing the effect of the selected transformation pattern on the transformed secret code. In addition, the hypothetical secret code is used to encode a test sample, and the encoded test sample is sent back to the first hardware module. Accordingly, the first hardware module can verify the validity of the current hypothetical secret code by checking the encoded test sample.

Abstract: A client/server networking topology comprising a trusted server agent (TSA) (e.g., software application) that runs either at a client node or at a node in close proximity to the client and provides various trusted services to the client on behalf of a trusted server. In instances where the node in which the TSA software runs (i.e., the client or a node in close proximity) may be untrusted, and/or unreliable, methods are provided for making the TSA software running on the untrusted and/or unreliable node provide trusted and reliable services. In one aspect of the invention, a method for providing trusted service in a client/server system comprises the steps of: providing at least one client; providing at least one trusted server (TS); providing at least one trusted server agent (TSA) which is executing on or near the at least one client; providing a trusted service by the at least one TSA to the at least one client on behalf of the at least one TS.

Abstract: A storage area network resistant to spoofing attack has several nodes each having a port, and storage area network interconnect interconnecting the ports. Each port is provided with a hash function generator for providing and verifying an authentication code for frames transmitted over the storage area network, and a key table for providing a key to the hash function generator. The authentication code is generated by applying a hash function to the key and to at least an address portion of each frame. In each node, the key is selected from that node's key table according to address information of the frame.

Abstract: To provide a method and a system for creating a mini time key from a time key, a plurality of mini time keys are created within a unit time period. First, a unit time decryption key is prepared immediately after the unit time is created. Then, the last mini time key is created by applying a one-way function to the unit time decryption key. A desired mini time key is created by applying the one-way function to a mini time key following the desired mini time key. In other words, the mini time keys are created as a timed series arranged in a descending order beginning with the last mini time key. In this manner, even when a specific mini time key is externally leaked for a specific reason, a following mini time key in a timed series can not be created by using this mini time key. In addition, even when the mini time keys are sequentially published, the security of the unit time decryption key is maintained.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for securing a session in a system having application and network layers. The session is managed by a session manager. Security components used in the session are provided by a security storage. The session manager coordinates a mapping of a conference session at the application layer to a multicast session at the network layer using the security components provided by the security storage.

Abstract: A method and system for electronic messaging in which a sender of an electronic message receives a return receipt, without having to send the message contents to a third party. The sender contacts a server to obtain an encryption key to encrypt the message. The server returns an encryption key along with key retrieval information to the sender. The key retrieval information can be used to obtain from the server the decryption key corresponding to the returned encryption key. The sender encrypts the message using the encryption key and sends the message, along with the key retrieval information, to the recipient. The recipient sends the key retrieval information to the server to retrieve the corresponding decryption key. The recipient then decrypts the encrypted message received from the sender using the decryption key. When the recipient sends a request to obtain the decryption key, the server notifies the sender when the key has been successfully retrieved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a smart card device having a surface onto which are formed a plurality of user interpretable icons and electronic apparatus attached to the card portion. The electronic apparatus includes a memory in which are retained at least a plurality of character strings each associated with a corresponding one of the icons, a processor means coupled to the memory means, and communication means for coupling the processor means to a reading device configured to facilitate reading of the secure access device. The processor means is configured to relate reading signals generated from a user selection of at least one of the icons and received via the communication means with at least one of the retained character strings to thus perform a secure access checking function for enabling or rejecting user access to a desired service.