Patent ID: 8572231

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for obtaining a nonce, comprising: determining a nonce space of a first string comprising at least one character; when the first string is within a given nonce space, sending a request for a nonce to an authority that tracks nonces within the given nonce space; when the first string is within the given nonce space, determining whether the first string has been assigned as a nonce in a database; when it is determined that the first string has been assigned as a nonce in the database, generating a combined string by appending a second string having at least one character to the first string; determining whether the combined string has been assigned as a nonce in the database, the combined string being within the given nonce space; and when it is determined that the combined string has not been assigned as a nonce in the database, assigning the combined string as a nonce in the database.