Patent ID: 7558955

Claim:
A method of managing exchange of secure online instant messages between subscriber devices, where the secure messages are signed and encrypted using subscribers' digital certificates, the method comprising steps of: a messaging server receiving a log-in request from at least one subscriber device comprising a local instant messaging module to begin a session of exchanging synchronous online messages; the local instant messaging module submitting a certificate publication request to the messaging server, the publication request also specifying a digital certificate corresponding to the subscriber device; the messaging server receiving the certificate publication request from said local instant messaging module; responsive to the certificate publication request, the messaging server temporarily storing the digital certificate in a publication record in association with the subscriber device as long as the associated instant messaging module remains logged-in to the messaging server; responsive to prescribed events, the messaging server providing logged-in subscriber devices with selected information concerning certificates of other subscriber devices; responsive to a particular subscriber device ending the session, the messaging server automatically removing the digital certificate from the publication record for the particular subscriber device; receiving a particular subscriber device's request to un-publish the digital certificate and in responsive to receiving the request to un-publish the digital certificate, the messaging server removing the digital certificate from the publication record for the particular subscriber device; identifying other logged-in subscriber devices that previously designated the particular subscriber device for potential future secured instant messaging; and notifying the identified other logged-in subscriber devices that the digital certificate for the particular subscriber device is withdrawn from use.