One-time-pad encryption with central key service
OwnerWolfgang Hammersmithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-time-pad encryption system where encrypted one-time-pad keys can be distributed to users on physical media or on a computer network from a central server. Each one-time-pad key has a key identification number that facilitates key management. Each encrypted data set includes a header specifying an offset within the one-time-pad key for commencement of decryption so that messages can be decrypted in any order. Before encryption begins, the length of remaining unused key is compared to the length of the data set to be encrypted. Encryption control buttons are added to a word processor and other programs as an addition to the user interface.
Claims24
A method of providing a pair of sequences of encrypted one time-pad communications keys (5&6, 4&7) by a server (1;
- 41) on a computer network, one to a sender (2, 3;
- 42, 43) and one to a receiver (2, 3;
- 42, 43), the method comprising the steps of:
- a. receiving a sequence of random numbers from a random number generator;
- b. using said sequence of random numbers to generate a sequence of one-time-pad communications keys, each commencing with an identifier;
- and
- c. transmitting a copy of each of the keys of said sequence of keys (5&6, 4&7) from the server (1;
- 41) via the computer network to each of a data set sender (2, 3;
- 42, 43) and to a data set receiver (2, 3;
- 42, 43), each copy encrypted with a key encryption key.
A method of using a one-time-pad communications key to encrypt a data set in a computer (2, 3;
- 42;
- 43) coupled to a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. receiving a sequence of encrypted one-time-pad communications keys, each with an identifier, from a server (1;
- 41) on the computer network;
- b. decrypting said one-time-pad communications keys;
- c. encrypting a data set using one of said one-time-pad communications keys
- d. transmitting said encrypted data set from a sender (2, 3;
- 42;
- 43) coupled to the computer network to a receiver (2, 3;
- 42;
- 43) coupled to the computer network along with the identifier for said one of said one-time-pad communications keys
- e. receiving said encrypted data set and
- f. decrypting said data set using said one of said one-time-pad communications keys
A computer program product including a program for a processing device on a computer network, comprising software code portions for performing, when the program is run on the processing device, the steps of:
- a. receiving a sequence of random numbers from a random number generator;
- b. using said sequence of random numbers to generate a sequence of one-time-pad communications keys, each commencing with an identifier;
- and
- c. transmitting a copy of each of the keys of said sequence of keys (5&6, 4&7) from the processing device (1;
- 41) via the computer network to each of a data set sender (2, 3;
- 42, 43) and to a data set receiver (2, 3;
- 42, 43), each copy encrypted with a key encryption key,
- wherein each of the one-time-pad communications keys to be transmitted from the processing device (1;
- 41) to each of said data set sender (2, 3;
- 42, 43) and to said data set receiver (2, 3;
- 42, 43) is stored on a pair of computer readable data carriers for encoding/decoding a data set in the receiver/sender, each of the one-time-pad communications keys consisting of an encrypted sequence of bytes, produced by the processing device by assembling a random sequence of bytes, encrypting the sequence by executing an encryption process with the key encryption key, and inserting into the carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.