System and method for retrieving certificates associated with senders of digitally signed messages
View Patent ↗A system and method for retrieving certificates and/or verifying the revocation status of certificates. In one embodiment, when a user opens a digitally signed message, a certificate that is required to verify the digital signature on the message may be automatically retrieved if it is not stored on the user's computing device (e.g. a mobile device), eliminating the need for users to initiate the task manually. Verification of the digital signature may also be automatically performed by the application after the certificate is retrieved. Verification of the revocation status of a certificate may also be automatically performed if it is determined that the time that has elapsed since the status was last updated exceeds a pre-specified limit.
1. A method of retrieving certificates associated with senders of digitally signed electronic mail messages received at a user's mobile computing device, wherein the method is performed by an application executing on the user's mobile computing device, the method comprising:
after an electronic mail message comprising a digital signature of a sender arrives at the user's mobile computing device, before the electronic mail message is user-selected for opening, and before verifying the digital signature:
identifying a certificate associated with the sender that comprises a public key capable of verifying the digital signature, wherein the certificate is not included in the electronic mail message; and
determining whether the certificate is stored in a certificate store on the user's mobile computing device;
retrieving the certificate from a certificate store remotely located from the user's mobile computing device if the certificate is determined to be not stored on the user's mobile computing device;
verifying, by the user's mobile computing device, the digital signature of the electronic mail message using the certificate; and
generating an indicator for display at the user's mobile computing device that indicates whether the digital signature is successfully verified.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application comprises an electronic mail application.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving is performed by the user's mobile computing device after the determining, without user intervention.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the certificate retrieved from the certificate store remotely located from the user's mobile computing device, in a certificate store on the user's mobile computing device.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said storing the certificate is performed by the application after the certificate is retrieved from the certificate store remotely located from the user's mobile computing device, without user intervention.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verifying and generating are performed after the retrieving without user intervention.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying at least one certificate property of the certificate, and generating an indicator that indicate a result of the verifying.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one certificate property comprises the trust status of the certificate.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one certificate property comprises the strength of the public key of the certificate.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one certificate property comprises the expiration status of the certificate.
11. A mobile device comprising:
a processor, and
a memory;
wherein the processor is configured to:
after an electronic mail message comprising a digital signature of a sender arrives at the mobile, before the electronic mail message is user-selected for opening, and before verifying the digital signature:
identify a certificate associated with the sender that comprises a public key capable of verifying the digital signature, wherein the certificate is not included in the electronic mail message; and
determine whether the certificate is stored in a certificate store on the mobile device;
retrieve the certificate from a certificate store remotely located from the mobile device if the certificate is determined to be not stored on the mobile device;
verify the digital signature of the electronic mail message using the certificate; and
generate an indicator for display at the mobile device that indicates whether the digital signature is successfully verified.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to retrieve the certificate after determining that the certificate is not stored on the mobile device, without user intervention.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to store the certificate retrieved from the certificate store remotely located from the mobile device, in a certificate store on the mobile device.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to store the certificate after the certificate is retrieved from the certificate store remotely located from the mobile device, without user intervention.
15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to verify the digital signature and generate the indicator for display after retrieving the certificate, without user intervention.
16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to verify at least one certificate property of the certificate, and generate an indicator that indicate a result of verifying the at least one certificate property.
17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the at least one certificate property comprises the trust status of the certificate.
18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the at least one certificate property comprises the strength of the public key of the certificate.
19. The device of claim 16 , wherein the at least one certificate property comprises the expiration status of the certificate.
20. A computer-readable storage device, comprising a plurality of instructions executable by a processor of a mobile device, wherein the instructions configured the processor to:
after an electronic mail message comprising a digital signature of a sender arrives at the mobile, before the electronic mail message is user-selected for opening, and before verifying the digital signature:
identify a certificate associated with the sender that comprises a public key capable of verifying the digital signature, wherein the certificate is not included in the electronic mail message; and
determine whether the certificate is stored in a certificate store on the mobile device;
retrieve the certificate from a certificate store remotely located from the mobile device if the certificate is determined to be not stored on the mobile device;
verify the digital signature of the electronic mail message using the certificate; and
generate an indicator for display at the mobile device that indicates whether the digital signature is successfully verified.