Patent ID: 7784106

Claim:
A method of maintaining a Central Key Authority (CKA) database in a secure environment, comprising: storing, in the CKA database, a public key of a public key-private key pair, wherein the public key is associated with a user device of a user, wherein the user device is configured to generate digital signatures using a private key of the public-private key pair, wherein the private key is maintained securely within the user device; securely linking, in the CKA database, the public key associated with the user device with other information during manufacturing of the user device in the secure environment; and associating, in the CKA database, one or more third-party account identifiers with the public key, wherein each third-party account identifier identifies to a third-party an account of a respective user that is maintained with the third-party, wherein the third-party uses the public key and other information to authenticate a message.