IP Library Granted Patent US 10,652,218
Granted Patent B2
US 10,652,218 · App. 15/392,003 · Granted May 12, 2020

Message protection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,652,218
App. No.
15/392,003
Granted
May 12, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is disclosed in an example a computing apparatus, comprising: a network interface; a messaging application to communicate via the network interface; and one or more logic elements comprising a security layer, discrete from the messaging application, to: generate a message; secure the message; and send the message via the messaging application.

Claims (38)

1. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a processor and memory;

a network interface;

a messaging application to communicate via the network interface; and

instructions stored on the memory and configured to instruct the processor to provide a security layer comprising a third-party security-aware software keyboard different from an operating system-provided keyboard and discrete from the messaging application, the security layer configured to:

generate a sensitive message from user input to the third-party software keyboard;

secure the sensitive message, comprising encrypting the user input into an encrypted message, and embedding the encrypted message into a dummy conveyor element via steganography; and

send the secured message via the messaging application, comprising sending a multimedia text message with the conveyor element as an attachment, wherein the conveyor element is a digital file, a video file, or a multimedia file.

2. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile device.

3. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the security layer is further to enforce a policy for the secured message.

4. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the steganography is compression resistant.

5. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the security layer is to communicate with a backend server to negotiate a security key.

6. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the security layer is to communicate with a backend server to negotiate a policy for the secured message.

7. The computing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the policy is a retention policy with a maximum retention period.

8. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 1 , wherein the steganography is compression resistant.

9. The computing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the security aware keyboard is a default input method for the apparatus.

10. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a storage;

a processor and memory;

a network interface;

a networking application to communicate via the network interface; and

instructions stored on the storage and configured to instruct the processor to provide a security layer comprising a third-party security-aware software keyboard different from an operating system-provided keyboard and discrete from the networking application, the security layer configured to:

receive an incoming sensitive message via the network interface, the incoming sensitive message comprising a steganographic image, wherein the steganographic image comprises an encrypted message from user input to the third-party software keyboard;

secure the sensitive message, comprising storing the encrypted message from user input on the storage, and embedding the encrypted message into a dummy conveyor element via steganography, wherein the conveyor element is embedded into a multimedia text message with the conveyor element as an attachment, wherein the conveyor element is a digital file, a video file, or a multimedia file;

detect the stored encrypted message on the storage;

reverse the steganography; and

decrypt the encrypted message.

11. The computing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the security layer is further to enforce a policy attached to the sensitive message.

12. The computing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein enforcing the policy comprises destroying the sensitive message after expiry of a time to live for the sensitive message.

13. One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums having stored thereon executable instructions to provide a security layer comprising a third-party security-aware software keyboard different from an operating system-provided keyboard and discrete from a messaging application, the security layer configured to:

generate a sensitive message from user input to the third-party software keyboard;

secure the sensitive message, comprising encrypting the user input into an encrypted message, and embedding the encrypted message into a dummy conveyor element via steganography; and

send the secured message via the messaging application, comprising sending a multimedia text message with the conveyor element as an attachment, wherein the conveyor element is a digital file, a video file, or a multimedia file, wherein the messaging application is operable to send the sensitive message via a network interface.

14. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 13 , wherein the security layer is further to enforce a policy for the secured message.

15. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 13 , wherein the security layer is to communicate with a backend server to negotiate a security key.

16. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 13 , wherein the security layer is to communicate with a backend server to negotiate a policy for the secured message.

17. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 16 , wherein the policy is a retention policy with a maximum retention period.

18. The one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 13 , wherein the security aware keyboard is a default input method for an apparatus.

Assignments (10)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE PATENT TITLES AND REMOVE DUPLICATES IN THE SCHEDULE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059354 FRAME: 0335. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 060792/0307 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 059354/0335 →
RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL - REEL/FRAME 045056/0676 Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MCAFEE, LLC
Reel/Frame 059354/0213 →
RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL - REEL/FRAME 045055/0786 Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MCAFEE, LLC
Reel/Frame 054238/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT 6336186 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045055 FRAME 786. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Oct 22, 2020
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 055854/0047 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT 6336186 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045056 FRAME 0676. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Oct 22, 2020
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 054206/0593 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2018
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 045055/0786 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2018
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 045056/0676 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Sep 15, 2017
From: MCAFEE, INC.
To: MCAFEE, LLC
Reel/Frame 043969/0057 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2017
From: LANCIONI, GERMAN; WOODWARD, CARL D.; BERTOGNA, MARIO LEANDRO
To: MCAFEE, INC.
Reel/Frame 040860/0812 →