Hardware token self enrollment process

1. A method for initializing and distributing hardware tokens to a plurality of unknown users through insecure channels comprising the steps of:

initializing a hardware token processor with non-user specific certificates, said initializing performed in a trusted server that comprises a certificate authority;

after completion of said initializing step, distributing the hardware token processors to a plurality of potential users;

allowing a new user to register a hardware token processor together with his specific user identification information;

wherein said hardware token processor further comprises an instruction unit for performing a calculation;

generating new certificates for the new user; and

storing said new certificates for said new user in the hardware token processor submitted for registration by said new user;

wherein the non-user specific certificates comprise at least: a user certificate that is a private decryption key used by the hardware token processor to decrypt messages received from said certificate authority and a user certification number that is a public key used by the certificate authority to encrypt messages that are to be sent to the hardware token processor;

wherein the step of initializing a hardware token processor further comprises the steps of:

creating a unique identifier for the hardware token processor;

generating a personal identification number for a potential user in a random manner;

generating a personal identification number for an administrative user in a random manner;

generating a user certificate and a user certification number key pair for the hardware token processor;

generating a server certificate and a server certification number key pair for the hardware token processor;

storing said unique identifier, said personal identification numbers for both a potential user and an administrative user, and said user and server key pairs in a recognition database;

storing said unique identifier, said personal identification numbers for both a potential user and an administrative user in the hardware token processor;

storing said user certificate in the hardware token processor; and

storing said server certification number in the hardware token processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hardware token processor comprises:

a non-volatile random access memory, wherein said non-volatile random access memory stores both a certificate and a private key;

an instruction unit that executes instruction sequences stored in memory;

an encasement that houses the non-volatile random access memory and instruction unit; and

an interface unit that penetrates said encasement and allows the instruction unit to communicate with external equipment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the hardware token processor further comprises:

an intrusion detection unit that detects the compromise of the encasement and erases the contents of the non-volatile memory in response thereto.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the hardware token processor further comprises:

a math accelerator that is tailored to execute mathematical instructions.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the interface unit is a one-wire interface, wherein said one-wire interface provides two-way communication with a host computer.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said certificate comprises a non-user specific certificate on initialization and comprises a user-specific version upon replacement during enrollment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

distributing a plurality of hardware token processor interface units to potential users.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

installing a hardware token reader on a plurality of user computers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of initializing said hardware token processor with non-user specific certificates is accomplished using a bulk programmer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the bulk programmer is controlled by a hardware token processor initialization workstation.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the hardware token processor initialization workstation creates initialization data for each hardware token processor initialized, wherein said initialization data comprises an identification number and an encryption key.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the hardware token processor initialization workstation obtains initialization data from an external source by means of computer readable media.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said computer readable media is maintained in at least one of a computer network or a trusted computer network.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

setting an initialization Boolean flag in the hardware token processor to-indicate that the hardware token processor has been initialized.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the recognition database comprises a unique record for each hardware token processor initialized and wherein each of said records comprises the following fields:

a hardware token processor identifier field that is used to store a unique identifier for each hardware token processor initialized;

an administrative personal identification number field that is used to store a randomly generated personal identification number for an administrative user;

a user personal identification number field that is used to store a randomly generated personal identification number for a user;

a hardware token processor initialization Boolean field that is set to true after the hardware token processor is initialized;

a user certificate field that is used to store a private decryption key used by the hardware token processor to decrypt messages received from a certificate authority;

a user certification number field that is used to store a public, key used by a certificate authority to encrypt messages that are to be sent to the hardware token processor;

a server certificate field that is used to store a private decryption key used by the certificate authority to decrypt messages received from the hardware token processor; and

a server certification number field that is used to store a public key used by hardware token processor to encrypt messages that are to be sent to the certificate authority.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the recognition database further comprises the following fields:

a registered field that is set to a null value upon initialization of the hardware token processor and is subsequently set to a date indicative of the date on which the hardware token processor is registered by a user; and

a user data field that is used to store information about a user once the user has enrolled for authentication service with the certificate authority.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said instruction unit of said token processor comprises an operating system.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initializing the hardware token processor is repeated yielding a set of fungible hardware token processors.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of initializing the hardware token processor is repeated yielding a set of non-fungible hardware token processors.