Secure messaging using self-decrypting documents

A secure electronic document comprising:

• a document wrapper including a description of a user interface;
• encrypted data representing a source message which has been encrypted with an encryption key;
• processing instructions located within the document wrapper;
• and
• a decryption element configured to receive a password entered by a recipient via the user interface, and to use the password and the processing instructions to decrypt the encrypted data within the document.

A secure messaging system for protecting the contents of an electronic message being sent to a recipient, the system comprising:

• an encrypting module for preparing a secure document, the encrypting module configured to receive a key and an electronic message;
• and
• an electronic mail gateway module configured to receive the secure document from the encrypting module and to send the secure document to a recipient,
• wherein the encrypting module is configured to create an encrypted message by encrypting the electronic message with the key, and wherein the secure document comprises an HTML-compliant wrapper, the encrypted message, a processing script, and a decryption element, the processing script containing instructions for accessing the encrypted message, and the decryption element being capable of recovering the electronic message from the encrypted message when presented with a password by the recipient.

A method for sending a message to a recipient, the method comprising the steps of:

• preparing an encrypted message by encrypting a source message using an encryption key and an encryption algorithm;
• preparing a secure document comprising an HTML-compliant wrapper, the encrypted message, a processing script, and a decryption element, wherein the processing script contains instructions for accessing the encrypted message, and wherein the decryption element includes a module capable of recovering the source message from the encrypted message when presented with a password by the recipient;
• and
• sending the secure document to a recipient.

A method for sending and receiving a message, the method comprising the steps of:

• preparing an encrypted message by encrypting a source message using an encryption key associated with a recipient and an encryption algorithm;
• preparing a secure document comprising an HTML-compliant wrapper, the encrypted message, a processing script, and a decryption element;
• forwarding the secure document to a recipient's device;
• processing the wrapper of the secure document using a browser running on the recipient's device;
• entering a password into the browser;
• running the processing script of the secure document to access the decryption element;
• recovering the source message by decrypting the encrypted message with the password and the decryption element;
• and
• presenting the recovered source message to the recipient,
• wherein the secure document allows the encrypted message to be decrypted and viewed on a device having a browser installed thereon, without a need for decryption software installed on the device.