Abstract:
A secure messaging system that requires pairing of second and receiving devices via user identification credentials and the associated media access control addresses (MAC addresses) of the paired devices. Paired devices may communicate encrypted messages and deletion parameters may be established by a sending device, including immediate deletion requests. The message and the instructions are automatically decrypted by the receiving device and interpreted to provide the data and configure the deletion parameters. The system preferably manages device pairing via a remote server that is accessed by a device application.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/897,865, filed on May 20, 2013, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/795,804, filed on Oct. 26, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/688,712, filed on May 21, 2012. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to data transmission systems and, more particularly, to a system that provides identity and data theft protection. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Messaging over the internet and mobile cellular networks has been growing at an astonishing rate over the last decade, and includes the transmission of additional date, such as sound, video, and picture files. A primary concern in the use of messaging systems is the security and integrity of such data transmission. While some solutions exist that perform encryption on transmitted data or require encryption keys, there is no way to know whether the receiving party is the intended target or whether a third party with unauthorized access has intercepted or broken the encryption. In addition, there is typically no way to ensure that the receiving party deletes sensitive messages or data as promised. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a data transmission system that can verify the receiving party is authorized to receive the transmission and is actually the authorized party prior to data transmission, and that can ensure the appropriate deletion of received data after transmission. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention comprises a secure messaging system that provides identity and data theft protection by requiring that devices participating in the transmission of data be paired via an exchange of media access control addresses (MAC addresses). By requiring the pairing of devices via exchanged MAC addresses before data can be transferred between devices, data transmission security is enhanced. In an embodiment of the present invention, sent data may also be deleted from a receiving device after it has been reviewed, such as by a remote sender, thereby further ensuring data security and protecting against identity theft. In the data transmission process according to the present invention, a request to transmit data, such as encrypted text, an image, sound, video, or music file, a check is first made to determine whether the sending and receiving devices have been paired. For example, a check may be made via a host server. 
         [0007]    Once a paired relationship has been verified, data is sent to the receiving device in encrypted fashion along with instructions on how long the message is to be made available for viewing before automatic deletion. The message and the instructions are automatically decrypted by the receiving device and interpreted to provide the data and configure the deletion parameters. Alternatively, a sending device may transmit a delete instruction that deletes a received data file regardless of whether the file was reviewed, viewed or used. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0008]    The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic of a secure messaging system according to the present invention implemented into two smart phones; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic of a user device management module according to the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic of data flow in a secure messaging system according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic of message sending and receiving according to the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a schematic of the hierarchy of servers according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIG. 1  a schematic of the secure messaging system  10  according to the present invention that is based in part on pairing of devices  12  and  14  using MAC addresses, with are device identifiers that are each uniquely associated with a network adapter to identify a device on a network. A typical MAC address consists of 12 hexadecimal numbers, typically formatted as follows XX:XX:XX:YY:YY:YY. System  10  is designed to allow for the secure pairing of a sending (or receiving) device  12  running system  10  with a receiving (or sending) device  14  also implementing system  10 . It should be recognized by those of skill in the art that a device implementing system  10  may act as either a sending device  12  or a receiving device  14 , or both, and have been assigned reference numerals as one or the other strictly for the purposes of illustrating an embodiment of the invention. System  10  ensures that messages are sent to the correct person/device and that the sender is the person authorized to make the transmission. 
         [0015]    As seen in  FIG. 1 , a host server  16  facilitates system  10  in combination with devices  12  and  14 , preferably through the use of software installed on participating devices  12  and  14 , such as an application that is downloaded and run on the sending and receiving devices  12  and  14  that will be participating in data transmission or messaging. For example, the local device portions of system  10  may be implemented via a downloadable app for devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, as well as gaming systems, smart televisions, navigation systems, vehicular computers, and the like. Along these lines, system  10  can be configured to require a conventional user identification and password for each user to provide added security and, as explained below, for a user to remotely access host  16 , such as if a participating device  12  or  14  is lost. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , system  10  contains a device management module  18  that manages authentications, subscriptions, user contacts, and ciphering, and is in communication with a database  20  for storing and retrieving data associated with the various processes. Preferably, database  20  is maintained remotely from devices  12  and  14  for additional security, such as in the “cloud” as that term is used in the field to refer to remotely positioned storage accessible via the internet. Preferably, messages themselves are not retained in database  20  to improve security. For example, a user may request remote pairing with a particular contact stored within database  20  by using management module  18  to retrieve the contact from database  20 . System  10  then communicates the pairing request, which may be rejected or accepted by device  14 . If accepted, the MAC addresses are shared between the host files associated with devices  12  and  14 , and thus stored in the corresponding database files associated with the other device along with appropriate user identification (ID) information. 
         [0017]    As seen in  FIG. 3 , system  10  may be configured to operate over Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)  22  or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)  24  based networks, and includes module for performing authentication/paring  26 , messaging multiplexing  28 , encryption/decryption, and an LDAP database  30 . System  10  further includes an application/web module  32  for retrieving and using user information, pairing relationships, contacts, subscriptions, logs, and status information. 
         [0018]    After at least one pair is achieved and stored in database  20 , a data transmission may be made using system  10 . For example, as seen in  FIG. 4 , a user can select a contact from management module  18  and send a message that is encrypted by system  10 . If the receiving device&#39;s MAC address and user ID information are confirmed based on pre-configured pairing information in database  20 , the message is sent from sending device  12  to the receiving device  14  via system  10 . Thus, messages pass through system  10 , which acts as a postmaster, and not directly between the devices. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , system  10  employs a hierarchy of servers to accomplish securing message transmissions. More particularly, an authentication server  36  having access to database  20  is in communication with an XMPP relay server  38 , a pairing server  40 , a messaging relay status server  42 , a plug-in control server  44 , and a web server  46 . System  10  may thus be used to provide user identification, such as in connection with a voice or video conferencing session, wherein one or more sessions are started by the participants. For example, the identity of the user/participants may be confirmed by checking the device MAC addresses of users after they have logged into the program. 
         [0020]    System  10  may further be programmed to control the amount of time that secure messages are available to the receiving device. For example, each message may be accompanied by a deletion parameter that is set by sending device  12  and specifies when the message is to be automatically deleted by the receiving device  14 . In an additional embodiment of the present invention, sending device  12  may remotely set the deletion trigger to cause immediate deletion of the message regardless of the status of the message on receiving device  14 , i.e., a message may be deleted before it has been read or viewed. 
         [0021]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, system  10  employs the hierarchy of  FIG. 5  to avoid the need for storage of data involved in the secure transmission. For example, picture, video, sound, and data files may be transmitted between and viewed using devices using system  10 . By not retaining the data associated with messaging files in device  12  or  14 , such as deleting or flushing immediately or as directed by users, such as after the messages have been read or accessed, there is total privacy and integrity during paired conversations. System  10  may further be programmed to allow a user to remotely disable paired connection. For example, a user that loses device  12  may access system  10  via the internet using the web server of system  10  to delete all paired connections from system  10 .