Versatile secure and non-secure messaging

#Cross-reference is hereby made to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/410,702, entitled “VERSATILE ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM” and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/410,447, entitled “HYBRID COMPUTER SECURITY CLOCK”, which were filed on even date herewith and are hereby incorporated by reference.

#Cross-reference is also made to copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/912,931, filed Jul. 25, 2001 and entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROMOTING SECURITY IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM EMPLOYING ATTACHED STORAGE DEVICES”; 10/963,373, filed Oct. 12, 2004 and entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING VERSATILE SECURITY, DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT, AND PRIVACY SERVICES FROM STORAGE CONTROLLERS”; 10/984,368, filed Nov. 9, 2004 and entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING VERSATILE SECURITY, DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT, AND PRIVACY SERVICES”; 11/178,908, filed Jul. 11, 2005 and entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROMOTING SECURITY IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM EMPLOYING ATTACHED STORAGE DEVICES”; 11/343,338, filed Jan. 31, 2006 and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING VERSATILE SERVICES ON STORAGE DEVICES”; and 11/346,118, filed Feb. 2, 2006 and entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROMOTING SECURITY IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM EMPLOYING ATTACHED STORAGE DEVICES”.

#The present disclosure generally relates to secure and non-secure messaging in communication channels between devices, such as computer systems and communication networks.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multi-component trusted platform having a trusted peripheral device with a secure/non-secure messaging and access control subsystem according to an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of initiating of a non-authenticated, non-secure messaging session.

#FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of initiating a messaging session implementing pass code authentication.

#The present disclosure describes a compact but versatile system and method for providing secure and non-secure messaging in communication channels between devices. Each end of a channel can be programmed to implement an indefinitely large number of different secure and non-secure messaging protocols without either end of the communication channel having to negotiate with the other end or inquire as to its security capabilities. For example, the security protocols are implemented on each end with a set of simple tables without requiring the use of problem solving mechanisms with Turing Machine power.

#In one or more embodiments, the selection of protocol in the domain set of available protocols simply emerges from the performance of the protocol itself. So, for example, there may be no “crypto suite” from which to select. There is no “optional” selection required. Every protocol simply starts and finishes.

#In one embodiment, the domain set of available protocols includes the family of protocols that establish a communication session with the capability of establishing a secure session (or non-secure session). A session is a communication channel established between two end points (such as a host device and a peripheral device) at the request of one of the end points and ended by termination rules that are outside the scope of this disclosure. Although in an embodiment, either endpoint can terminate a session for any reason after the session is initiated.