Patent ID: 9380048
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method enabling authentication over a communication network comprising: creating by a first device an authentication certificate including an electronically formatted public key and an electronically formatted private key; storing by the first device the electronically formatted private key in a memory of the first device; sending by the first device the electronically formatted public key to a certificate authority gateway; converting by the certificate authority gateway the electronically formatted public key into a non-electronically formatted public key; sending by the certificate authority gateway the non-electronically formatted public key to a certificate authority server, wherein the certificate authority server is electrically and physically isolated from the certificate authority gateway via a boundary of a secure area; converting by the certificate authority server the non-electronically formatted public key back to the electronically formatted public key and storing by the certificate authority server the electronically formatted public key in a memory of the certificate authority server; signing by the certificate authority server the electronically formatted public key to produce a signed electronically formatted public key; storing by the certificate authority server the signed electronically formatted public key in the memory of the certificate authority server; retrieving by the certificate authority server the signed electronically formatted public key from the memory of the certificate authority server and converting by the certificate authority server the signed electronically formatted public key to a signed non-electronically formatted public key; sending by the certificate authority server the signed non-electronically formatted public key to the certificate authority gateway; converting by the certificate authority gateway the signed non-electronically formatted public key to the signed electronically formatted public key; sending by the certificate authority gateway the signed electronically formatted public key to a distribution service; sending by the distribution service the signed electronically formatted public key to a second device, wherein the second device uses the signed electronically formatted public key in establishing an authenticated communicate link via the communication network with the first device; and wherein communicating by the certificate authority gateway the non-electronically formatted public key across the boundary of the secure area to the certificate authority server, and communicating by the certificate authority server the signed non-electronically formatted public key across the boundary of the secure area to the certificate authority gateway, said communications via a non-electrical communication format to prevent any electronic attacks on the certificate authority server.