Patent ID: 7827398

Claim:
A method for offloading message encryption and message decryption from a message server to an encrypting end device and a decrypting end device that are remote from the message server, the method comprising: the message server establishing a secure communication path between the message server and the encrypting end device; the message server receiving, from the encrypting end device via the secure communication path between the message server and the encrypting end device, a cryptographic context usable by the encrypting end device to encrypt a message and the message server responsively storing the cryptographic context; the message server receiving an encrypted message from the encrypting end device via a communication path between the message server and the encrypting end device, but other than the secure communication path between the message server and the encrypting end device, and the message server responsively storing the encrypted message, wherein the encrypting end device creates the encrypted message by encrypting a message with the cryptographic context; the message server receiving a request for the message server to transmit the encrypted message to the decrypting end device; and in response to receiving the request, the message server transmitting the cryptographic context and the encrypted message to the decrypting end device for decryption of the encrypted message by the decrypting end device, wherein transmitting the cryptographic context to the decrypting end device occurs via a secure communication path established between the message server and the decrypting end device.