Cryptographic sanction server and methods for use therewith

1. A sanction server for cryptographic sanctioning of secure transmission of media content from a caching server to at least one client device, the sanction server comprising:

a network interface that provides bidirectional data communication with the caching server and the at least one client device via at least one network, wherein the network interface receives a request for the media content from the at least one client device and transmits first sanction data to the caching server and second sanction data to the at least one client device;

a random number generator, coupled to the network interface, that generates a random number;

a sanction processing module, coupled to the random number generator and the network interface, that, in response to the request for the media content, generates the first sanction data based on the random number and generates the second sanction data based on the random number;

wherein the caching server generates first cryptographic data based on the first sanction data and sends the first cryptographic data to the at least one client device;

wherein the at least one client device generates second cryptographic data based on the second sanction data and sends the second cryptographic data to the caching server;

wherein the caching server generates a scrambling control word for scrambling the media content based on the first sanction data and the second cryptographic data;

wherein the at least one client device generates the scrambling control word for descrambling the media content based on the second sanction data and the first cryptographic data; and

wherein the first sanction data, the second sanction data, the first cryptographic data and the second cryptographic data are generated in accordance with an asymmetrical public key cryptography algorithm.

2. The sanction server of claim 1 wherein the sanction processing module further generates, in response to the request for the media content, notification data that indicates the at least one client device and the media content; and

wherein the network interface further sends the notification data to the caching server via the at least one network.

3. The sanction server of claim 1 wherein the sanction processing module authenticates the request for the media content from the at least one client device based on certificate data from a signing authority.

4. The sanction server of claim 1 wherein the sanction processing module signs the first sanction data and the second sanction data based on certificate data from a signing authority.

5. A method for cryptographic sanctioning of secure transmission of media content from a caching server to at least one client device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the media content from the at least one client device at a sanction server;

generating a first random number at the sanction server;

generating first sanction data based on the random number via the sanction server and transmitting the first sanction data to the caching server; and

generating the second sanction data based on the random number via the sanctioning server and transmitting the second sanction data to the at least one client device;

wherein the caching server generates first cryptographic data based on the first sanction data and sends the first cryptographic data to the at least one client device;

wherein the at least one client device generates second cryptographic data based on the second sanction data and sends the second cryptographic data to the caching server;

wherein the caching server generates a scrambling control word for scrambling the media content based on the first sanction data and the second cryptographic data;

wherein the at least one client device generates the scrambling control word for descrambling the media content based on the second sanction data and the first cryptographic data; and

wherein the first sanction data, the second sanction data, the first cryptographic data and the second cryptographic data are generated in accordance with an asymmetrical public key cryptography algorithm.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising;

generating, at the sanction server and in response to the request for the media content from the at least one client device, notification data that indicates the at least one client device and the media content; and

sending the notification data to the caching server via the at least one network.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, at the sanction server, certificate data from a signing authority; and

authenticating, via the sanction server, the request for the media content from the at least one client device based on the certificate data.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, at the sanction server, certificate data from a signing authority; and

signing, via the sanction server, the first sanction data and the second sanction data based on the certificate data.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

generating a second random number via the caching server;

wherein the first cryptographic data is generated at the caching server, further based on the second random number.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

generating a third random number via the at least one client device;

wherein the second cryptographic data is generated at the at least one client device, further based on the third random number.

11. The sanction server of claim 1 wherein the first sanction data, the second sanction data, the first cryptographic data and the second cryptographic data are generated in accordance with an elliptic curve cryptography algorithm.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the first sanction data, the second sanction data, the first cryptographic data and the second cryptographic data are generated in accordance with a Rivest, Shamir, Adelman (RSA) cryptography algorithm.

13. The method of claim 5 wherein the first sanction data, the sanction data, the first cryptographic data and the second cryptographic data are generated in accordance with an elliptic curve cryptography algorithm.