Patent ID: 8171527
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: in a security agent comprising one or more secure servers: receiving, from a trusted authority having a first set of responsibilities, a randomly generated and encrypted unlock password having a first digital signature, wherein the first set of responsibilities comprises random generation, encryption, and digital signing of an unlock password to compose the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password having the first digital signature; digitally signing information associated with the unlock password to create a second digital signature; sending the second digital signature and the information associated with the unlock password to a communication device configured for a network in order to mate the unlock password to the communication device; and sending, to a password processing center having a third set of responsibilities, the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password having the first digital signature along with mating data; wherein the security agent has a second set of responsibilities that comprises the steps of receiving the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password from the trusted authority, digitally signing the information associated with the unlock password, sending the second digital signature and the information associated with the unlock password to the communication device, and sending the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password to the password processing center; wherein the third set of responsibilities comprises, upon receipt of a request for the unlock password, verifying the first digital signature, decrypting the randomly generated and encrypted unlock password, and verifying, based upon the mating data, that the unlock password is mated to the communication device; wherein the second digital signature is generated with a private key of a security agent-to-device authentication key, wherein the security agent-to-device authentication key is a key pair comprising the private key and a public key; wherein the communication device has a fourth set of responsibilities that comprises verifying that the second digital signature came from the security agent by authenticating the second digital signature with the public key of the security agent-to-device authentication key; and wherein the first, second, third, and fourth sets of responsibilities are not the same as one another.