Systems and methods for authenticating an electronic message
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsLeo J. Campbell, Jon L. Cook, Charles R. Chamberlain, Michael J. McGrath, Isadore Schoen
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for authenticating electronic messages. A data structure is generated by a computer server which allows for the authentication of the contents and computer server identity of a received electronic message and provides a trusted stamp to authenticate when the message was sent. Data which can authenticate the message, the computer server identity, and the time the message was sent is included into a data structure which is called an Electronic PostMark (EPM).
Claims9
A method for authenticating an electronic message, performed by an authentication sever, comprising the steps of:
- receiving, at a predetermined time, a request to authenticate the electronic message, the request including a recipient electronic address and a hash value corresponding to the electronic message;
- creating an electronic postmark data structure for the electronic message, the electronic postmark data structure including time and date information and a value that uniquely identifies the electronic postmark data structure;
- generating a digital signature for the electronic postmark data structure;
- including the digital signature in the electronic postmark data structure;
- generating a public digital key for a recipient;
- exporting the public digital key to a key authenticator for authorizing;
- sending the electronic postmark data structure and the recipient electronic address to a recipient client for delivery to the recipient at the recipient electronic address;
- storing a copy of the electronic postmark data structure including the time and date information in a log file;
- and
- creating a digest of the log file.
A method for authenticating an electronic message, comprising the steps of:
- sending a message comprising message data and a recipient electronic address from a sender to a sender front-end module at a sender client;
- transmitting the message from the sender front-end module to a sender client proxy module at the sender client;
- creating, by the sender client proxy module, a hash value from the message data;
- sending, at a predetermined time, the hash value and the recipient electronic address from the sender client proxy module via a network client module to a network server module at an authentication server;
- generating an electronic postmark for the hash value by the authentication server, the electronic postmark including time and date information and a value that uniquely identifies the electronic postmark;
- sending the electronic postmark and the recipient electronic address from the authentication server via a network client module on a recipient client to a recipient client proxy module on a recipient client;
- transmitting the electronic postmark and the recipient electronic address from the recipient client proxy module to a recipient front-end module at the recipient client;
- sending the electronic postmark from the recipient client to a recipient at the recipient electronic address;
- storing a copy of the electronic postmark hash value in a log file;
- and
- creating a digest of the log file.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.