Patent ID: 7827400

Claim:
A method for initiating a secure link between a mobile platform system operated by a mobile platform operator and a remote system without manual intervention, said method comprising: generating and digitally signing a static certificate using information concerning an identity of the mobile platform operator; issuing the static certificate to at least one onboard computer system (OCS) of the mobile platform; automatically generating a dynamic certificate utilizing the OCS and information concerning an identity of the OCS and an identity of the mobile platform that the OCS is being used on, and digitally signing the dynamic certificate with the static certificate; transmitting the dynamic certificate to at least one central computer system (CCS) located remotely from the mobile platform over a communications link between the OCS and the CCS; verifying that the dynamic certificate is from a trusted source utilizing the CCS, thereby initiating a secure link between the OCS and the CCS; generating and sending a return dynamic certificate electronically signed with the static certificate from the CCS to the OCS; wherein said issuing the static certificate to the OCS comprises encoding the static certificate into a configuration file; and wherein said issuing the static certificate further comprises executing a first portion of an authentication software application (ASA1) stored in the OCS upon turning on the OCS to delete preexisting pertinent authorization, authentication and static certificate data stored in the OCS, and load the configuration file into the OCS.