Patent Abstract:
An embodiment relates generally to a method of managing a token. The method includes marking a token to be killed and detecting a presence of the token. The method also includes disabling the token in response to the marking of the token.

Full Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to managing a token, more particularly, to method and system for issuing a kill sequence for a token. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Smart cards are not merely a piece of plastic with a strip of magnetic material. Smart cards also store and process information. Smart cards are storage devices with the core mechanics to facilitate communication with a reader or coupler. They have file system configurations and the ability to be partitioned into public and private spaces that can be made available or locked. They also have segregated areas for protected information, such as certificates, e-purses, and entire operating systems. In addition to traditional data storage states, such as read-only and read/write, some vendors are working with sub-states best described as “add only” and “update only.” 
     Smart cards are a way to increase security especially for enterprise systems. Enterprise system often contain valuable information such as financial data, personnel records, strategies, etc., that may be critical for the entity administrating the enterprise system. Moreover, for at least the reasons described above, smart cards may offer a mechanism to control access to data within the enterprise systems. Accordingly, the reasons to use smart card are plentiful. 
     In a large enterprise configuration, there may be a large number of employees, each employee being issued a smart card or token. On occasion, the tokens may be canceled and new smart cards reissued. This may be the result of a security breach or part of a security protocol. The administrator has to collect the old smart cards, disable each card and erase the resident memory of the token and then issue the new smart cards. The collection process and destruction may involve a large amount of man-hours for a single administrator to accomplish. Accordingly, there is a need for a convenient and remote method of disabling and erasing large number of tokens. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, as the same become better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary token management system in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of a token in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with yet another embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary computing platform. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments pertain generally to systems and methods for managing tokens. More specifically, a token kill option may be implemented in an enterprise security system. The enterprise security system may be configured for users to interface and manage their secure applications from enrolling tokens to interfacing with secure applications. A user may mark a token to be killed with the token kill option. Subsequently, when the marked token is inserted into a token reader, the enterprise security may be configured to remove any private key stored and/or overwrite the private keys with zeros on the marked token and then is disabled permanently, i.e., killed. In other embodiments, the enterprise system may remove the private key and/or overwrite zeros in the place of any private keys but then allow the tokens to be recycled. 
     For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in, all types of secure computing systems, and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary secure system  100  in accordance with an embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the system  100  depicted in  FIG. 1  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified. Moreover, the system  100  may be implemented using software components, hardware components, or combinations thereof. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the secure system  100  includes a server  105 , clients  110  and a local network  115 . The server  105  may be a computing machine or platform configured to execute a token management system  120  through a multiple user operating system (not shown) in conjunction with the clients  110 . The server  105  may be implemented with server platforms as known to those skilled in the art from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, etc. 
     The server  105  may interact with the clients over the local network  115 . The local network  115  may be a local area network implementing an established network protocol such as Ethernet, token ring, FDDI, etc. The local network  115  provides a communication channel for the server  105  and clients  110  to exchange data and commands. 
     The clients  110  may be computing machine or platform configured to execute secure and open applications through the multi-user operating system. The clients  110  may be implemented with personal computers, workstations, thin clients, thick clients, or other similar computing platform. The clients  110  may use operating systems such as Linux, Windows, Macintosh or other available operating system. 
     Each client  110  may be configured to interface with a security device  125 . The security device  125  may be configured to act as a gatekeeper to the client  110 . More particularly, a user may use a security token, such as a smart card, to access the respective client  110 . Each client  110  may have a security client  130  executing to monitor and manage the security device  125 . 
     The security client  130  may be configured to manage the token. More specifically, the security client  130  may enroll the token, recover keys for the token or reset a personal identification number for the token. The security client  130  may also be configured to interface with the token management system  120  and act as a proxy for application program data units (APDUs) between the token management system  120  and the token. The security client  130  may be further configured to display user interfaces as the token management system  120  directs, i.e., prompting the user for credentials and/or PIN, displaying token status. 
     The token management system  120  comprises several modules, as depicted in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  shows an exemplary architecture of the token management system  120  in accordance with another embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the token management system  120  depicted in  FIG. 2  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified. Moreover, the token management system  120  may be implemented using software components, hardware components, or combinations thereof. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the token management system  120  includes a token processing system (labeled as TPS in  FIG. 2 )  205 , a token key service (TKS) module  210 , a data recovery manager (DRM) module  215  and a certificate authority (CA) module  220 . The TPS  205  may be configured to act as a registration authority. The TPS  205  may direct the enrollment process. The TPS  205  may also be configured to act as a gateway between security clients  130 , tokens, and the modules of the token management system  120 . 
     The TKS module  210  may be configured to maintain master keys for the tokens. The TKS module  210  may also store symmetric keys associated with the token. These keys may be derived from a single master key combined with smart card serial number or identification number, i.e., the CID. The manufacturer of the smart card may store these symmetric keys onto the token. The manufacturer may also forward the single master key to the administrator of the token management system  120 , who installs the key into the TKS module  210 . 
     The DRM module  215  may be configured to maintain a database of encrypted subject&#39;s private keys, which can be recovered on demand by an appropriate process. 
     The CA module  220  may be configured to generate X.509 certificates in response to received subject public key information and certificate enrollment requests. 
     In some embodiments, a user may mark or flag a token to be zeroed out (“killed”, secure erase, etc.). More specifically, the user may use the security client  130  to invoke a menu option to flag a token to be zeroed out. Tokens may be configured with a microchip that comprises an interface, a processor, and memory, as depicted in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the token  300  includes an interface  305 , a processor  310 , and memory  315 . The interface  305 , the processor  310  and the memory  315  may be implemented with an application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or other similar technologies. 
     In addition, in some embodiments, an administrator of token management system  120  is also enabled to kill token  300 . For example, an administrator may be provided an administration function that allows the administrator to trigger a system-initiated kill of token  300 . 
     The selection of a token kill may be useful if the token has been lost or stolen. By designating that the token has been “killed”, all data on that token will be erased or die token rendered inoperable if the token is used again in an attempt to access TPS  205 . Thus, if a thief or other third party attempts to use the killed token, TPS  205  may react by overwriting the token and setting a bit on the token to indicate that it is inoperable. Such a bit may be used by the token&#39;s operating system or any applets to check the validity of that token. 
     The interface  305  may be configured as communication conduit for data between the token and the token management system  120 . The interface  305  may comply with existing smart card interface standards as known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, token  300  verifies that the kill instruction by checking the PUT data, the PUT key APDU&#39;s) delivered to token  300 . In addition, token  300  may also check that the kill instruction is delivered over an open platform secure channel to interface  305 . In some embodiments, only TPS  205  is authorized to open an open platform secure channel with token  300 . The processor  310  may be configured to provide a computing platform for the functions of the token. For example, the processor  310  can transfer data, execute applets stored in the memory  315 . The memory  315  may be configured to store information such as private keys, data, applets (small applications). The memory  315  may be partitioned into blocks  320 - 324 . 
     Accordingly, a user may mark the token for destruction by a menu option on a user interface executed by the security client  130 . The security client  130  may send a message that contains a pre-determined code in the memory  315  indicating the token is to be killed. Once the token has been marked, a subsequent token operation will activate the kill sequence to kill the token, as described with respect to  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram  400  executed by the security client  130  in accordance with yet another embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the flow diagram  400  depicted in  FIG. 4  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the security client  130  may detect a marked token, e.g., token  300 , in the security device  125 , in step  405 . The security client  130  may begin an authentication process which may comprise a handshake protocol where the token can be queried to determine whether the token has been marked or the data that indicates the kill status can be read from the memory  315  by the security client  130 , in step  410 . 
     If the status is that the token is not marked, in step  415 , the security client  130  may be configured to permit operations with the token, in step  420 . Otherwise, if the status is that the token is marked, in step  415 , the security client  130  may be configured to notify the token management system  120  that the token is marked for a kill sequence, in step  425 . 
     In step  430 , the security client  130  may detect a token operation (e.g., personal identification number reset, enrollment request, a key recovery request, etc.). The security client  130  may signal the token management system  120  to issue the kill sequence, which is received by the security client  130  in step  435 . The commands found in the kill sequence comply with Open Platform application data program units as known to those skilled in the art. Subsequently, the kill sequence is forwarded to the token, which proceeds to erase the data stored in the memory and then overwrite zeros in each memory location. 
     Certain embodiments may be performed as a computer program. The computer program may exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive. For example, the computer program can exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats; firmware program(s); or hardware description language (HDL) files. Any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form. Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable ROM), and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running the present invention can be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of executable software program(s) of the computer program on a CD-ROM or via Internet download. In a sense, the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readable medium. The same is true of computer networks in general. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. In particular, although the method has been described by examples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7