Enabling use of a certificate stored in a smart card
View Patent ↗If a smart card is to be used for a particular purpose, and there is no certificate initialized on the smart card for this purpose, a computerized device enables a user to select one of the certificates already installed in the smart card for the particular purpose. The selected certificate may be imported into the computerized device.
1. A method in a computerized device coupled to a smart card reader, the method comprising:
enabling selection, via a user input interface of the computerized device, of a certificate from among one or more certificates stored on a smart card that are not assigned for satisfying a particular certificate requirement, the smart card being coupled to the smart card reader;
importing the selected certificate to the computerized device; and
using the imported certificate to satisfy the particular certificate requirement.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the selected certificate at the computerized device.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a challenge to the smart card;
receiving a signed version of the challenge from the smart card; and
using the imported certificate to verify that the signed version is signed using a private key paired to the imported certificate.
4. The method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
identifying the imported certificate to the smart card in conjunction with sending the challenge to the smart card.
5. The method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
using the imported certificate to satisfy the particular certificate requirement only if the signed version is verified.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particular certificate requirement is unlocking the computerized device.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particular certificate requirement is accessing information via the computerized device.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particular certificate requirement is accessing a network via the computerized device.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling receipt of a password;
comparing the received password to an authentication password stored in the smart card; and
importing the selected certificate only if the received password and the authentication password stored in the smart card are identical.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating a hash of the imported certificate; and
storing the hash in the computerized device.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 , in the event that the imported certificate is no longer at the computerized device, the method further comprising:
importing another certificate to the computerized device;
calculating a hash of the other imported certificate; and
comparing the hash of the other imported certificate to the stored hash.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
if the hash of the other imported certificate and the stored hash are identical, satisfying the particular certificate requirement using the other imported certificate.
13. A computerized device comprising:
a communication interface through which the computerized device is able to couple to a smart card reader;
a user input interface; and
a processor coupled to the communication interface and to the user input interface, the processor operative, when the computerized device is coupled to the smart card reader, to:
enable selection, via the user input interface, of a certificate from among one or more certificates stored on a smart card that are not assigned for satisfying a particular certificate requirement, the smart card being coupled to the smart card reader;
import, via the communication interface, the selected certificate to the computerized device; and
use the imported certificate to satisfy the particular certificate requirement.
14. The computerized device as recited in claim 13 , the processor further operative to:
store the selected certificate at the computerized device.
15. The computerized device as recited in claim 13 , the processor further operative to:
send a challenge to the smart card via the communication interface and via the smart card reader;
receive a signed version of the challenge from the smart card via the smart card reader and via the communication interface; and
use the imported certificate to verify that the signed version is signed using a private key paired to the imported certificate.
16. The computerized device as recited in claim 15 , the processor further operative to:
identify the imported certificate to the smart card in conjunction with sending the challenge to the smart card.
17. The computerized device as recited in claim 15 , the processor further operative to:
use the imported certificate to satisfy the particular certificate requirement only if the signed version is verified.
18. The computerized device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the particular certificate requirement is unlocking the computerized device.
19. The computerized device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the particular certificate requirement is accessing information via the computerized device.
20. The computerized device as recited in claim 13 , wherein the particular certificate requirement is accessing a network via the computerized device.
21. The computerized device as recited in claim 13 , the processor further operative to:
calculate a hash of the imported certificate; and
store the hash in the computerized device.
22. The computerized device as recited in claim 21 , the processor further operative, in the event that the imported certificate is no longer at the computerized device, to:
import another certificate to the computerized device;
calculate a hash of the other imported certificate; and
compare the hash of the other imported certificate to the stored hash.
23. The computerized device as recited in claim 22 , the processor further operative to:
satisfy the particular certificate requirement using the other imported certificate if the hash of the other imported certificate and the stored hash are identical.
24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computerized device that is coupled to a smart card reader, result in:
enabling selection, via a user input interface of the computerized device, of a certificate from among one or more certificates stored on a smart card that are not assigned for satisfying a particular certificate requirement, the smart card being coupled to the smart card reader;
importing the selected certificate to the computerized device; and
using the imported certificate to satisfy the particular certificate requirement.
25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 24 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the computerized device, further result in:
sending a challenge to the smart card;
receiving a signed version of the challenge from the smart card; and
using the imported certificate to verify that the signed version is signed using a private key paired to the imported certificate.
26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 25 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the computerized device, further result in:
using the imported certificate to satisfy the particular certificate requirement only if the signed version is verified.