Patent ID: 8694783

Claim:
A method of creating a secure authentication channel in a communication network, the method comprising: generating a master key for use only by a first node and a second node, wherein the master key is generated and encrypted by a coordinating entity that sends the master key and a corresponding transfer session identifier to both the first node and the second node; encrypting, at the first node, a first random number using the master key, wherein the first random number is stored in a first memory device of the first node, and wherein the first node sends the encrypted first random number and the transfer session identifier to the second node; decrypting, at the second node, the encrypted first random number from the first node using the master key and the transfer session identifier to obtain the first random number; encrypting, at the second node, a second random number and the first random number using the master key, wherein the second random number is stored in a second memory device of the second node, and wherein the second node sends the encrypted second random number, the encrypted first random number and the transfer session identifier to the first node; decrypting, at the first node, the encrypted second random number and the encrypted first random number from the second node using the master key and the transfer session identifier to obtain the first random number and the second random number; encrypting, at the first node, the second random number using the master key when the first node determines that the first random number from the second node matches the first random number stored in the first memory device of the first node, wherein the first node sends the encrypted second random number and the transfer session identifier to the second node; decrypting, at the second node, the encrypted second random number from the first node using the master key and the transfer session identifier to obtain the second random number; and creating a secure authentication channel (SAC) between the first node and the second node in the communication network when the second node determines that the second random number from the first node matches the second random number stored on the second memory device on of the second node.