Patent ID: 8756423
Filing Date: 2014-06-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of establishing a secure group of entities in a computer network, comprising: operating a secure group management computer system including one or more policy-based decision nodes to: a) receive a request from a first entity for the creation of a group; b) create a group identifier, and a first public/private key pair for the group; c) transmit the group identifier and first group public key to the first entity; d) operate one of said policy-based decision nodes to check whether the first entity is authorised to join the group; e) if said first entity is authorised to join the group, transmit the first group private key to the entity; f) receive a request from a second entity to join the group specified by the group identifier, the request including an identifier of the second entity signed by the first entity using the first group private key; and g) operate one of said policy-based decision nodes to check whether the second entity is authorised to join the group; h) if said second entity is authorised to join the group, transmit the first group private key to the second entity, such that messages signed with the first group private key can be verified as messages from an authentic group member; wherein step d) is performed by a policy-based decision node in a trust realm, and step g is performed by another policy-based decision node in another trust realm.