US 2003/0217259 A1 · Method and apparatus for web-based secure email

Abstract

An end-to-end secure web-based email system is disclosed. The system uses a non-transient cryptographic engine and a web browser on the client side, which communicates with a server from the service provider. The server provides standard web-based email functions, whereas the non-transient cryptographic engine provides security functions including encryption, decryption, signature addition and verification. The non-transient cryptographic engine works with the web browser on the client side where the web browser acts as the user interface to the non-transient cryptographic engine. The non-transient cryptographic engine also provides a range of key management functions on the client side. The system is end-to-end secure because all the security functions are executed on the client side. The system has a graceful degradation property in that if a user does not carry the non-transient cryptographic engine, the user can still send and receive normal unsecured email service.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of providing a browser based electronic messaging service comprising the following steps:

i. providing an electronic messaging server for sending and receiving electronic messages in the global computer network,
ii. providing a page server for presenting pages to a browser application that presents an electronic messaging service,
iii. providing a browser application on the client side,
iv. providing a non-transient cryptographic means on the client side for performing cryptographic operations.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for web-based secure email

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for web-based secure email

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20