Patent ID: 7234063
Filing Date: 2007-06-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of generating a cryptographic transform for use in a point-to-point secure communication session among a first node and a second node that are enrolled in a secure communication group, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving a group key for use in secure communication among members of the secure communications group that includes the first node and the second node, wherein the first node is seeking to initiate the secure point-to-point communication session within the secure communications group with the second node wherein the secure point-to-point communication session allows the first and the second node to communicate with each other privately with respect to other members of the secure communications group; receiving one or more descriptor values that are associated with the group key; deriving, based on the group key and the one or more descriptor values, a data-security session key for use in the secure point-to-point communication session by only the first node and the second node privately with respect to the other secure communications group members; wherein the secure communications group comprises at least one node besides the first and second node, wherein the group key comprises a single group key that is common to all nodes of the secure communications group and wherein the deriving step is performed within the secure communications group, independently, by only each of the first and second nodes; encrypting one or more data packets using the data-security session key; and communicating the one or more data packets privately with respect to the other secure communications group members, to the second node as part of the secure communication session.