# US 9,882,879 B1 · Using steganography to protect cryptographic information on a mobile device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,879 B1 - Document ID: US9882879B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/928,643 - Filed: 2013-06-27 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-27 - Assignees: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Applicants: EMC IP Holding Company LLC - Inventors: Yedidya Dotan; Lawrence N. Friedman; William M. Duane; John Brainard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882879B1 ## CPC - H04L 63/0428: {wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload} - G06T 1/00: General purpose image data processing - H04L 63/083: {using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226)} - H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for using steganography to protect cryptographic information on a mobile device are provided herein. A method includes querying a user to select one or more items of data stored on a computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device, and protecting one or more items of cryptographic information within the one or more selected items of data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: querying a user to select, in a user-determined ordered sequence, multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device, wherein said computing device comprises a mobile device; protecting respective ones of multiple sub-components of an item of cryptographic information within respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data such that each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data protects at least one of the multiple subcomponents of the item of cryptographic information, and wherein said protecting comprises (i) encoding and storing, into at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, one or more values, and (ii) encoding and storing, into at least a second of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, authentication data in a manner indicated by the one or more values stored in the at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data; presenting, through a user interface associated with said computing device, a collection of multimedia data stored on said computing device in connection with an authentication request to access a protected resource associated with said computing device, wherein said collection of multimedia data includes (i) the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data within which the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are protected and (ii) one or more additional items of multimedia data encoded with authentication data recognized by the computing device as log-in credentials to an account associated with an attempted attack on the computing device; extracting each of the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information protected within the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, upon user identification of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, in the user-determined ordered sequence, to grant access to the protected resource associated with said computing device; and performing the one or more cryptographic actions using the protected resource; wherein said querying, said protecting, said presenting, said extracting, and said performing are carried out by at least one computer device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more cryptographic actions comprises one or more authentication actions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more cryptographic actions comprises one or more encryption actions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more cryptographic actions comprises one or more decryption actions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said item of cryptographic information comprises an item of authentication information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said item of cryptographic information comprises a digital signature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said item of cryptographic information comprises a cryptographic hash. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said querying comprises querying a user via a user interface associated with said computing device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device comprise at least one or more image data files. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device comprise at least one or more audio data files. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device comprise at least one or more video data files. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device comprise at least one or more application data files. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said item of cryptographic information comprise a key. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said key comprises a key used to encrypt a mobile device management container. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said key comprises a key used to decrypt a container of one or more additional keys. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: querying the user to identify a particular portion of each respective one of the multiple selected items of multimedia data within which respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are to be protected. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: querying the user to re-select, at a given interval, multiple items of multimedia data stored on said computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said item of cryptographic information comprises an item of cryptographic information used to unlock a biometric template for use in a biometric authentication process. ### Claim 19 An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having processor-readable instructions tangibly embodied thereon which, when implemented, cause a processor to carry out steps comprising: querying a user to select, in a user-determined ordered sequence, multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device, wherein said computing device comprises a mobile device; protecting respective ones of multiple sub-components of an item of cryptographic information within respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data such that each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data protects at least one of the multiple subcomponents of the item of cryptographic information, and wherein said protecting comprises (i) encoding and storing, into at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, one or more values, and (ii) encoding and storing, into at least a second of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, authentication data in a manner indicated by the one or more values stored in the at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data; presenting, through a user interface associated with said computing device, a collection of multimedia data stored on said computing device in connection with an authentication request to access a protected resource associated with said computing device, wherein said collection of multimedia data includes (i) the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data within which the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are protected and (ii) one or more additional items of multimedia data encoded with authentication data recognized by the computing device as log-in credentials to an account associated with an attempted attack on the computing device; extracting each of the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information protected within the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, upon user identification of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, in the user-determined ordered sequence, to grant access to the protected resource associated with said computing device; and performing the one or more cryptographic actions using the protected resource. ### Claim 20 An apparatus comprising: a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to: query a user to select, in a user-determined ordered sequence, multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device, wherein said computing device comprises a mobile device; protect respective ones of multiple sub-components of an item of cryptographic information within respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data such that each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data protects at least one of the multiple subcomponents of the item of cryptographic information, and wherein said protecting comprises (i) encoding and storing, into at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, one or more values, and (ii) encoding and storing, into at least a second of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, authentication data in a manner indicated by the one or more values stored in the at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data; present, through a user interface associated with said computing device, a collection of multimedia data stored on said computing device in connection with an authentication request to access a protected resource associated with said computing device, wherein said collection of multimedia data includes (i) the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data within which the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are protected and (ii) one or more additional items of multimedia data encoded with authentication data recognized by the computing device as log-in credentials to an account associated with an attempted attack on the computing device; extract each of the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information protected within the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, upon user identification of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, in the user-determined ordered sequence, to grant access to the protected resource associated with said computing device; and perform the one or more cryptographic actions using the protected resource. ### Claim 21 A method comprising steps of: querying a user to select multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device, wherein said computing device comprises a mobile device; deriving respective ones of multiple sub-components of an item of cryptographic information from within respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, wherein such that at least one of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information is derived from within each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, and wherein said deriving comprises (i) extracting one or more portions of data, from each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, associated with noise, and (ii) creating the corresponding respective sub-component of the item of cryptographic information from the extracted portions of data, wherein the corresponding respective sub-component of the item of cryptographic information comprises at least a pre-determined level of entropy; presenting, through a user interface associated with said computing device, a collection of multimedia data stored on said computing device in connection with an authentication request to access a protected resource associated with said computing device, wherein said collection of multimedia data includes (i) the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data within which the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are derived and (ii) one or more additional items of multimedia data encoded with authentication data recognized by the computing device as log-in credentials to an account associated with an attempted attack on the computing device; extracting each of the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information derived from the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, upon user identification of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data, to grant access to the protected resource associated with said computing device; and performing the one or more cryptographic actions using the protected resource; wherein said steps are carried out by at least one computer device. ### Claim 22 A method comprising steps of: querying for selection, in a user-determined ordered sequence, of a first set multiple items of multimedia data stored on a computing device to be used in connection with one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device, wherein said computing device comprises a mobile device; protecting respective ones of multiple sub-components of an item of cryptographic information within respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set such that each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set protects at least one of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information, and wherein said protecting comprises (i) encoding and storing, into at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set, one or more values, and (ii) encoding and storing, into at least a second of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set, authentication data in a manner indicated by the one or more values stored in the at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set; presenting, through a user interface associated with said computing device, a collection of multimedia data stored on said computing device in connection with an authentication request to access a protected resource associated with said computing device, wherein said collection of multimedia data includes (i) the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set within which the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are protected and (ii) one or more additional items of multimedia data encoded with authentication data recognized by the computing device as log-in credentials to an account associated with an attempted attack on the computing device; extracting each of the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information protected within the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set, upon identification of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set, in the user-determined ordered sequence, via the user, to grant access to the protected resource associated with said computing device; performing the one or more cryptographic actions using the protected resource associated with said computing device; removing, subsequent to said performing the one or more cryptographic actions, the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information from within the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set; querying for selection, subsequent to said removing, of a second set of multiple items of multimedia data stored on said computing device to be used in connection with the one or more cryptographic actions associated with said computing device; and protecting respective ones of multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information within respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the second set such that each of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the second set protects at least one of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information, and wherein said protecting comprises (i) encoding and storing, into at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the second set, one or more values, and pi) encoding and storing, into at least a second of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the second set, authentication data in a manner indicated by the one or more values stored in the at least a first of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the second set; wherein said steps are carried out by at least one computer device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: incorporating a geographic location parameter associated with said computing device as an authentication parameter to grant access to the protected resource. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: querying the user to identify a particular portion of each of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set within which the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information are to be protected; and extracting each of the respective ones of the multiple sub-components of the item of cryptographic information protected within the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set, upon identification of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set and each corresponding particular portion of the respective ones of the multiple selected items of multimedia data in the first set via the user, to grant access to the protected resource associated with said computing device.