Abstract: A challenge response scheme authenticates a requesting device by an authenticating device. The authenticating device generates and issues a challenge to the requesting device. The requesting device combines the challenge with a hash of a password provided by a user, and the combination is further hashed in order to generate a requesting encryption key used to encrypt the user supplied password. The encrypted user supplied password is sent to the authenticating device as a response to the issued challenge. The authenticating device generates an authenticating encryption key by generating the hash of a combination of the challenge and a stored hash of an authenticating device password. The authenticating encryption key is used to decrypt the response in order to retrieve the user-supplied password. If the user-supplied password hash matches the stored authenticating device password hash, the requesting device is authenticated and the authenticating device is in possession of the password.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (and its related method of operation) includes, if invoked, password protected access to data stored therewithin and/or to normal device operations and further includes duress password checking logic that automatically causes a duress message to be sent if a duress password has been entered. The duress message is preferably sent without maintaining any user accessible indication of such sending. It is also preferred that the password checking logic automatically cause an end-of-duress message to be sent if a normal password is entered after a duress password has been entered. A plurality of different duress passwords may be entered into a duress password portion of data memory in the device.

Abstract: The described embodiments relate generally to methods and systems for fingerprint authentication for a computing device. In one embodiment, the method comprises: storing a default finger swipe scan direction; receiving a finger swipe scan; authenticating the received finger swipe scan; determining a received finger swipe scan direction; and configuring the default finger swipe scan direction. The computing device may comprise a mobile device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing digitally signed messages in which address mismatch errors are detected. In at least one aspect, the number of address mismatch errors reported to a user for a message may be minimized for messages that properly incorporate message portions signed by someone other than the sender of the message, as may be the case where the message contains a conversation thread for example, by performing at least one pre-determined action for digital signatures corresponding to signed data appearing after a message separator. The message separator may indicate that the message contains data from an older forwarded message or from an older message that has been replied to, for example. The at least one-predetermined action may comprise bypassing verification of address matches for those digital signatures, or verifying address matches for those digital signatures but suppressing user notification of any address mismatch errors, for example.

Abstract: A system and method for handling e-mail address mismatches between the address contained within a user's certificate or certificate chain, and the account address actually being used is disclosed. In order to resolve address mismatches a canonical or generic domain name or user name may, for example, be used as a lifelong address of a user that is contained in the user's certificate. Upon detection of an address mismatch, the system and method disclosed herein may automatically re-check the certificate or search for a certificate containing the canonical or generic domain name and/or user name to attempt to resolve the mismatch.

Abstract: Systems and methods for operation upon a wireless mobile device to handle message notifications. A method can include receiving a message by the wireless mobile device over a wireless communications network. The received message is processed so that at least a portion of the sender's message is displayed to a user of the wireless mobile device before a signed receipt is provided to the sender.

Abstract: A system includes a first wireless-enabled device that transparently stores confidential information and a second wireless-enabled device that stores the same confidential information. The confidential information is to be used to secure a wireless communication link between the first device and the second device. One or both of the first device and the second device is to delete the confidential information upon fulfillment of one or more conditions related to the communication link. The conditions include general timeout, device inactivity, loss of connection over the communication link, a decline in signal strength, and a predefined number of transactions having occurred between the first device and the second device.

Abstract: A system and method of selecting messaging settings on a messaging client are provided. A data store configured to operate in conjunction with the messaging client stores records comprising messaging settings or characteristics for previously received and/or sent messages. The messaging client is configured to send outgoing messages, each of the messages having message characteristics, to determine whether a record for an addressed recipient of an outgoing message exists in the data store, and to select messaging settings to control the message characteristics of the outgoing message based on the record where a record exists.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing intelligent error messaging is disclosed wherein a user of a mobile communications device is provided with descriptive error messaging information to assist the user in overcoming errors associated with the processing of electronic messages and data.

Abstract: One embodiment of a method of authenticating data comprises: receiving, at a device, data in a plurality of indexed packets transmitted by a data server, the data of the indexed packets being at least a portion of a larger data stream; receiving, at the device, from a data authentication server connected to the device by a network, a server-computed authentication value based on a subset of the data transmitted by the data server, the data authentication server having access to the data that was transmitted from the data server to the device; and comparing a device-computed authentication value based on a subset of the received data, corresponding to the subset of the data transmitted by the data server, with the server-computed authentication value in order to determine whether the subset of the data received at the device is authentic.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method operable on a mobile communications device is disclosed, the method comprising generating an authentication key for securing a personalized indicium assigned to the mobile communications device, wherein the personalized indicium comprises a Personal Information Number (PIN) that is mapped to at least one identifier associated with the mobile communications device; transmitting a registration request to a network node operable with a wireless network, the registration request having a registration request payload including the authentication key; receiving a challenge message from the network node, the challenge message generated when the network node detects a change of the IP address associated with the mobile communications device, and responsive to receiving the challenge message, executing a challenge response including an authentication value of a challenge string transmitted in the challenge message, wherein the authentication value is created using the authentication key.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a security encoding to be applied to a message being sent by a user of a computing device. In one broad aspect, the device comprises a processor configured to: determine whether a general message encoding configuration setting indicates that when a security encoding is to be applied to a message then the security encoding is to be established by a policy engine; if the general message encoding configuration setting so indicates, query the policy engine for the security encoding to be applied to the message; otherwise, determine the security encoding to be applied to the message in accordance with a user-selected security encoding; and apply the determined security encoding to the message prior to transmission of the message to at least one recipient.

Abstract: A method for preventing a recipient of an electronically transmitted message from taking at least one action in relation to the message is disclosed. The message has at least two parts with one of the parts having a higher level of security than the other part. The method includes the step of extracting information from the message. The information indicates that the higher level security part is not permitted to have the action taken on it while the other part is so permitted. The method also includes the step of preventing the higher level security part from having the action taken on it in reaction to said recipient making an offending request.

Abstract: A system and method for retrieving certificates and/or verifying the revocation status of certificates. In one embodiment, when a user opens a digitally signed message, a certificate that is required to verify the digital signature on the message may be automatically retrieved if it is not stored on the user's computing device (e.g. a mobile device), eliminating the need for users to initiate the task manually. Verification of the digital signature may also be automatically performed by the application after the certificate is retrieved. Verification of the revocation status of a certificate may also be automatically performed if it is determined that the time that has elapsed since the status was last updated exceeds a pre-specified limit.

Abstract: A communication device includes a display screen upon which information is displayed. A microprocessor configured to execute at least one notification program is provided that displays a notification descriptive of an access control request on the display screen. The at least one notification program is programmed to receive data indicative of an access control request and to receive data descriptive of the access control request. Additionally, the at least one notification program is further programmed to display a notification indicative of the access control request and comprising an explanation of the access control request based on the received descriptive data.

Abstract: A system includes a wireless-enabled smart card reader able to be connected concurrently to at least two devices and a mobile device able to be connected wirelessly to the smart card reader and to control connections of the smart card reader.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to the authentication of contactless payments attempted by a device having embedded contactless payment functionality. In particular, the disclosure is directed to systems and methods that utilize authentication schemes that already exist on a device in which the contactless payment functionality is embedded. One example of such authentication schemes is the use of password protection to lock or unlock the device in which the contactless payment functionality is embedded. Using the password protection functionality may provide varying levels of authentication protection based on the desires of the user. A number of exemplary uses of such a method and apparatus are disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating communication of packets between one or more applications residing on a first computing device and at least one second computing device. The system comprises a connection manager adapted to receive packets from the at least one second computing device, and a packet cache for storing packets received by the connection manager. The connection manager, upon receiving a packet from a second computing device, transmits the packet to the packet cache for storage and notifies each of the applications of receipt of the packet. Subsequently, the packet is retrievable from the packet cache by a notified application, and verification that the packet is intended for communication to the notified application is made.

Abstract: A key agreement method is carried out by a first system in conjunction with a second system over a bidirectional communication path, including generating a first key pair having a first public key and a first private key, sending the first public key to the second system, receiving a second public key generated by the second system, and calculating a master key based upon the first private key, the second public key, a long-term private key, and a long-term public key. The long-term private key was generated by the first system during a previous key-agreement method as part of a long-term key pair. The long-term public key was generated by the second system and received during the previous key-agreement method. The previous key-agreement method required a secret to be known to the first system and the second system, thus conferring authentication based on the secret to the long-term public key.

Abstract: A system and method for processing attachments to messages sent to a mobile device is described herein. Embodiments described herein apply to encrypted messages comprising multiple message parts, in which different encryption keys (e.g. session keys) have been used to encrypt the different message parts. In at least one example embodiment, the encrypted session keys for every message content part comprising an attachment is received at the mobile device. In one embodiment, all of the encrypted session keys are stored together in a main message header. The mobile device may then decrypt the encrypted session key associated with a user requested attachment, and transmits the decrypted session key to one or more remote servers in an attachment request for use in decrypting the requested attachment. Data associated with the requested attachment, in decrypted form, is returned to the mobile device.