Patent ID: 6826690
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A computer program product embodied on computer readable media readable by a computing system in a computing environment, for using device certificates to authenticate communicating devices, comprising:computer-readable program code means for creating a public key, private key pair for a first device, said key pair adapted for use in public key cryptography systems; computer-readable program code means for creating a first device certificate for said first device, wherein said first device certificate identifies said first device as owning said first device certificate using a globally-unique device identifier associated with a network adapter card directly attached to said first device and wherein said public key is stored in said first device certificate, thereby associating said public key with said globally-unique device identifier; computer-readable program code means for securely storing said private key on said first device in protected store that is readable only by hardware or firmware of said first device and not by software of said first device; computer-readable program code means for digitally signing, by said hardware or firmware, a first message using said private key of said key pair and sending said digitally-signed first message, from said first device to a second device; computer-readable program code means for receiving said digitally-signed first message at said second device; computer-readable program code means for authenticating, by said second device, said first device as having sent said digitally-signed first message by authenticating said first device's digital signature thereupon; computer-readable program code means for processing said first message, by said second device, only if said computer-readable program code means for authenticating determines that said first device is authentic, resulting in creation of a second message; computer-readable program code means for returning said second message from said second device to said first device, only if said computer-readable program code means for authenticating determines that said first device is authentic; and computer-readable program code means for receiving said returned second message at said first device.