Cryptographic audit

In a system comprising one or more receivers that are capable of receiving digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, wherein at least some digital content is intended only for authorized receivers, a method of authenticating a receiver so that potentially fraudulent receivers may be identified, the method comprising steps for:

• at a gateway receiver, receiving digital content that is broadcast from at least one content source;
• providing access to the received digital content through the gateway receiver;
• establishing an encrypted communication channel with an audit service that is able to authenticate the gateway receiver;
• and
• authenticating to the audit service, wherein authentication permits the audit service to identify potentially fraudulent receivers that (i) authenticate improperly, or (ii) authenticate with data that is not unique to a particular receiver.

For a system comprising one or more receivers that are capable of receiving digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, wherein at least some digital content is intended only for authorized receivers, a computer program product that implements a method of authenticating a receiver so that potentially fraudulent receivers may be identified, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium for carrying machine-executable instructions that implement the method, wherein the method comprises acts of:

• tuning a gateway receiver to receive digital content that is broadcast from at least one content source;
• outputting the received digital content;
• connecting to an audit service that is capable of authenticating the gateway receiver;
• and
• sending to the audit service, authentication data that comprises data which should be unique to the gateway receiver, wherein the authentication data permits the audit service to identify potentially fraudulent receivers that send (i) invalid authentication data or (ii) authentication data that is not unique to a particular receiver.

For a system comprising one or more receivers that are capable of receiving digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, wherein at least some digital content is intended only for authorized receivers, a computer program product that implements a method of authenticating a receiver so that potentially fraudulent receivers may be identified, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium for carrying machine-executable instructions that implement the method, wherein the method comprises steps for:

• at a gateway receiver, receiving digital content that is broadcast from at least one content source;
• providing access to the received digital content through the gateway receiver;
• establishing an encrypted communication channel with an audit service that is able to authenticate the gateway receiver;
• and
• authenticating to the audit service, wherein authentication permits the audit service to identify potentially fraudulent receivers that (i) authenticate improperly, or (ii) authenticate with data that is not unique to a particular receiver.

In a system comprising one or more receivers that are capable of receiving digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, wherein at least some digital content is intended only for authorized receivers, a method of auditing the one or more receivers to identify potentially fraudulent receivers, the method comprising acts of:

• tracking authentication information for a plurality of gateway receivers, wherein the authentication information comprises information which should be unique to each gateway receiver;
• receiving, from one or more gateway receivers that receive digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, authentication data that comprises data which should be unique to each gateway receiver;
• comparing the received authentication data with the tracked authentication information;
• and
• identifying at least one gateway receiver that has (i) provided valid authentication data that is unique to the at least one gateway receiver, (ii) provided invalid authentication data, (iii) provided authentication data that is not unique to the at least one gateway receiver, or (iv) not established contact and therefore not provided any authentication data.

For a system comprising one or more receivers that are capable of receiving digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, wherein at least some digital content is intended only for authorized receivers, a computer program product that implements a method of auditing the one or more receivers to identify potentially fraudulent receivers, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium for carrying machine-executable instructions that implement the method, wherein the method comprises acts of:

• tracking authentication information for a plurality of gateway receivers, wherein the authentication information comprises information which should be unique to each gateway receiver;
• receiving, from one or more gateway receivers that receive digital content broadcast from one or more content sources, authentication data that comprises data which should be unique to each gateway receiver;
• comparing the received authentication data with the tracked authentication information;
• and
• identifying at least one gateway receiver that has (i) provided valid authentication data that is unique to the at least one gateway receiver, (ii) provided invalid authentication data, (iii) provided authentication data that is not unique to the at least one gateway receiver, or (iv) not established contact and therefore not provided any authentication data.