Apparatus and method for efficient and secure pairing and communication

A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a data processing device, causes the data processing device to perform the operations of:

• reading a code from an optical label of a peripheral device and providing the code to a service for validation;
• providing a first communication channel between the peripheral and the service, the peripheral to transmit a first public key of a first public/private key pair to the service over the first communication channel;
• transmitting a second public key of a second public/private key pair from a data processing device to the service;
• upon receiving an indication that the service has validated the first public key and the second public key, using at least one of the first public key and the second public key to share a secret;
• generate a session key based on the secret;
• and
• pairing the data processing device with the peripheral to establish a second communication channel therebetween and using the session key to secure the second communication channel.

A system comprising:

• an app installed on a data processing device to cause a code to be read from an optical label of a peripheral device and to provide the code to a service for validation;
• a security subsystem of the data processing device to be accessed by the app to provide a communication channel between the peripheral and the service, the peripheral to transmit a first public key of a first key pair to the service over the communication channel;
• the security subsystem to transmit a second public key of a second key pair from the data processing device to the service;
• upon receiving an indication that the service has validated the first public key and the second public key, the security subsystem and the peripheral device to use at least one of the first public key and the second public key to share a secret, to generate a session key based on the secret, and to pair the data processing device with the peripheral to establish a second communication channel therebetween and to use the session key to secure the second communication channel.