Patent ID: 8356177

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: selecting a plaintext message to be authenticated and encrypted using an Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD) process; selecting an associated data to be authenticated and transmitted, but not encrypted; selecting a key encrypting key; creating and storing a data key to encrypt the plaintext message in a uniformly random or pseudorandom manner; creating and storing a ciphertext message, wherein the ciphertext message is at least as long as the plaintext message and is derived by encrypting using at least the plaintext message and the data key; creating and storing an encrypted data key, wherein the encrypted data key is derived from at least the data key and a key encrypting key; generating a communication, comprising at least the associated data in an Associated Data (AD) element, and a concatenation of the encrypted data key and the ciphertext message, wherein the encrypted data key is in a decryption context (DC) element separate from the AD element; sending the communication to a receiver; wherein each of the above steps is performed by one or more processors.