IP Library Granted Patent US 12,192,363
Granted Patent B2
US 12,192,363 · App. 18/374,866 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Using signed tokens to verify short message service (sms) message bodies

Inventors: Thomas Lee (Kensington, CA); Kevin San Diego (San Rafael, CA)
Assignee: Proofpoint, Inc.
H04L9/3213H04L9/3073H04L9/3242H04L51/42H04L63/0428
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,192,363
App. No.
18/374,866
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to message verification. A computing platform may generate a cryptographic key pair comprising a public key and a private key. The computing platform may publish, to a server, the public key. The computing platform may generate a short message service (SMS) message. The computing platform may sign, using the private key, the SMS message, which may include computing a cryptographic hash of the SMS message using the private key and embedding the cryptographic hash in an SMPP field of the SMS message. The computing platform may send, to a downstream computing system, the signed SMS message, where the downstream computing system may be configured to validate the signed SMS message using the cryptographic hash embedded in the SMPP field of the SMS message and by accessing the public key.

Claims (43)

1. A computing platform, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:

generate a cryptographic key pair comprising a public key and a private key;

publish, to a server, the public key;

generate a short message service (SMS) message; and

sign, using the private key, the SMS message, wherein signing the SMS message comprises computing a cryptographic hash of the SMS message using the private key and embedding the cryptographic hash in a short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) field of the SMS message, and wherein signing the SMS message further configures the SMS message for validation using the cryptographic hash and the public key.

2. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein signing the SMS message causes message metadata to indicate retrieval information for the public key.

3. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein the server comprises a DNS server.

4. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to perform one or more of:

store, at the computing platform, the private key, or

upload, to a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) platform, the private key, wherein the private key is stored at the CPaaS platform.

5. The computing platform of claim 4 , wherein signing the SMS message comprises signing the SMS message at one of: the computing platform or the CPaaS platform.

6. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein computing the cryptographic hash of the SMS message comprises hashing one or more of: contents of the SMS message and sender information.

7. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein the SMPP field comprises a custom SMPP tagged link value (TLV).

8. The computing platform of claim 1 , where the SMS message is additionally signed by an upstream intercarrier computing system using another public-private key combination, and wherein a downstream computing system further verifies the complete SMS message based on the upstream intercarrier computing system's signature.

9. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:

receive, from a downstream computing system, a message indicating that a problem occurred with signature validation for the SMS message.

10. The computing platform of claim 9 , wherein the message indicating that a problem occurred with signature validation for the SMS message may indicate that the problem comprises one or more of: a message payload modification, a message payload corruption, or an issue with truncation of payload for the SMS message during transit.

11. The computing platform of claim 9 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:

generate, based on receipt of the message indicating that the problem occurred with signature validation for the SMS message, an abuse reporting format (ARF) message, wherein the ARF message includes one or more policies indicating how downstream computing systems, including the downstream computing system, should handle messages that are unable to be validated.

12. The computing platform of claim 11 , wherein generating the ARF message causes the computing platform to instruct the downstream computing systems to: deliver the invalid messages with a warning, quarantine the invalid messages, send the invalid message in a digest, or drop the invalid message.

13. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:

send, to a downstream computing system, the signed SMS message, wherein the downstream computing system is configured to validate the signed SMS message using the cryptographic hash embedded in the SMPP field of the SMS message and by accessing the public key from an internet Domain Name Service (DNS) server of a domain indicated by the computing platform.

14. A method comprising:

at a computing platform comprising at least one processor, a communication interface, and memory:

generating a cryptographic key pair comprising a public key and a private key;

publishing, to a server, the public key;

generating a short message service (SMS) message; and

signing, using the private key, the SMS message, wherein signing the SMS message comprises computing a cryptographic hash of the SMS message using the private key and embedding the cryptographic hash in an SMPP field of the SMS message, and wherein signing the SMS message further configures the SMS message for validation using the cryptographic hash and the public key.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein signing the SMS message causes message metadata to indicate retrieval information for the public key.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the server comprises a DNS server.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising performing one or more of:

storing, at the computing platform, the private key, or

uploading, to a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) platform, the private key, wherein the private key is stored at the CPaaS platform.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein signing the SMS message comprises signing the SMS message at one of: the computing platform or the CPaaS platform.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein computing the cryptographic hash of the SMS message comprises hashing one or more of: contents of the SMS message and sender information.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing platform comprising at least one processor, a communication interface, and memory, cause the computing platform to:

generate a cryptographic key pair comprising a public key and a private key;

publish, to a server, the public key;

generate a short message service (SMS) message; and

sign, using the private key, the SMS message, wherein signing the SMS message comprises computing a cryptographic hash of the SMS message using the private key and embedding the cryptographic hash in an SMPP field of the SMS message, and wherein signing the SMS message further configures the SMS message for validation using the cryptographic hash and the public key.

Assignments (3)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Dec 9, 2025
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073910/0027 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 8, 2025
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073889/0677 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2024
From: LEE, THOMAS; SAN DIEGO, KEVIN
To: PROOFPOINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 068579/0139 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17491771 · Oct 1, 2021
Provisional Application 63105608 · Oct 26, 2020
Related Publication 20240031156A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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