Patent ID: 7028185

Claim:
A method of managing a database by a first party for identification of security features of a device that generates digital signatures, the database existing outside of the device, comprising the steps of: (a) recording in the database for each of a plurality of devices, (i) a public key of a public-private key pair of the device, the private key being stored only within the device, and (ii) information including security features of the device, the security features being associated with the public key in the database, the security features including security characteristics of the device that safeguard against discovery of the private key stored within the device and/or authentication capabilities of the device that safeguard against unauthorized use of the device in generating a digital signature; and (b) identifying by the first party, without use of a digital certificate, security features from the database to a second party recipient of an electronic message for which a digital signature was originated utilizing a private key of the public-private key pair of a particular one of the devices, the security features being for the particular device.