System and method for authenticating electronic documents

1. A method for securing an electronic document for electronic mail communication between enterprises, the method comprising:

attaching at least one e-mail address and biometric characteristic of a sender of the electronic mail communication at a first enterprise to electronic identification information of the sender to form an e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination;

attaching the e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination to at least one e-mail address of a recipient at a second enterprise to form an inner data envelope;

encrypting the inner data envelope to form an inner encrypted data envelope;

attaching the inner encrypted data envelope to the electronic document to be sent to form an inner encrypted data envelope—electronic document combination;

encrypting the inner encrypted data envelope-electronic document combination to form an outer encrypted envelope; and

sending the outer encrypted envelope as the electronic mail communication to a group of multiple recipients;

wherein upon receipt of the electronic mail communication by the group of multiple recipients, the communication is partially decrypted to expose the sender's biometric characteristic; and

wherein decryption of the electronic document is determined by the sender specifying whether the electronic document can be opened by each recipient individually or whether the electronic document can only be opened when the entire group of multiple recipients is present.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

partially decrypting the outer encrypted envelope, thereby to expose the biometric characteristic but not the electronic document, to form an exposed biometric characteristic;

comparing the exposed biometric characteristic with a stored biometric characteristic;

decrypting the electronic document when there is a match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristics; and

stopping decrypting where there is no match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristics.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising partially decrypting the biometric characteristic to expose at least a part of the biometric characteristic but not the electronic document, and comparing at least the part of the biometric characteristic with a corresponding part of a stored biometric characteristic, wherein, in an absence of a match between the part of the biometric characteristic and the corresponding part of the stored biometric characteristic, the decryption process is stopped.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising deleting the e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination when there is no match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristics.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising reading the biometric characteristic from a sensor.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the biometric characteristic is an electronic version of at least any one of the following: a signature, the pressure distribution when a user signs a signature, finger length, a fingerprint, DNA, iris characteristics, retina characteristics, facial tomography, facial shape, ear prints, typing speed, typing pressure and voice recognition.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , including attaching a biometric characteristic of the recipient to the e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination where the electronic mail communication is to be sent in response to a previous electronic mail communication from the recipient, and wherein upon receipt of the electronic mail communication by the recipient, the communication is partially decrypted to also expose the recipient's biometric characteristic.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each biometric characteristic is stored in a central memory, together with an identifier for identifying a person associated with each characteristic.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising sending a priming message to the at least one e-mail address, which priming message includes a copy of the biometric characteristic, and storing the biometric characteristic in the memory, together with an identifier for identifying a person associated with the characteristic.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic identification information is at least one of a photograph of the sender, a date of birth of the sender, a place of birth of the sender, passport identification of the sender, driving license number of the sender, social security number of the sender, professional license number of the sender, country of issuance of the social security number of the sender, country of issuance of passport of the sender, and country or state of issuance of driving license of the sender.

11. A computer program for securing an electronic document for electronic mail communication between enterprises, the computer program being stored in a computer readable medium, wherein:

the computer readable medium has instructions when executed to perform:

attaching at least one e-mail address and biometric characteristic of a sender of the electronic mail communication at a first enterprise to electronic identification information of the sender to form an e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination;

attaching the e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination to at least one e-mail address of a recipient at a second enterprise to form an inner data envelope;

encrypting the inner data envelope to form an inner encrypted data envelope;

attaching the inner encrypted data envelope to the electronic document to be sent to form an inner encrypted data envelope—electronic document combination;

encrypting the inner encrypted data envelope-electronic document combination to form an outer encrypted envelope; and

allowing the outer encrypted envelope to be sent as the electronic mail communication to a group of multiple recipients by the sender;

wherein upon receipt of the electronic mail communication by the group of multiple recipients, the communication can be partially decrypted to expose the sender's biometric characteristic; and

wherein decryption of the electronic document is determined by allowing the sender to specify whether the electronic document can be opened by each recipient individually or whether the electronic document can only be opened when the entire group of multiple recipients is present.

12. A computer program as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

the computer readable medium further has instructions for:

partially decrypting the outer encrypted envelope, thereby to expose the biometric characteristic but not the electronic document, to form an exposed biometric characteristic;

comparing the exposed biometric characteristic with a stored biometric characteristic;

decrypting the electronic document when there is a match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristics; and

stopping decrypting when there is no match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristics.

13. A computer program as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

the computer readable medium further has instructions for:

partially decrypting the outer encrypted envelope to expose at least a part of the biometric characteristic but not the electronic document;

comparing the at least a part of the biometric characteristic with a corresponding part of a stored biometric characteristic;

decrypting the electronic document when there is a match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristic; and

stopping the decryption process when there is no match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristic.

14. A computer program as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising instructions for deleting the e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination in the absence of a match between the stored and the exposed biometric characteristic.

15. A computer program as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the computer readable medium further has instructions for attaching a biometric characteristic of the recipient to the e-mail address-biometric characteristic-electronic identification information combination where the electronic mail communication is being sent in response to a previous electronic mail communication from the recipient, and for allowing that upon receipt of the electronic mail communication by the recipient, the communication is partially decrypted to also expose the recipient's biometric characteristic.

16. A computer program as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each biometric characteristic is stored in a central memory, together with an identifier for identifying a person associated with each characteristic.

17. A computer program as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising instructions for sending a priming message to the at least one e-mail address, wherein the priming message includes a copy of the biometric characteristic, and storing the copy of the biometric characteristic in the central memory, together with an identifier for identifying the predetermined address.

18. A computer program as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the electronic identification information is at least one of a photograph of the sender, a date of birth of the sender, a place of birth of the sender, passport identification of the sender, driving license number of the sender, social security number of the sender, professional license number of the sender, country of issuance of the social security number of the sender, country of issuance of passport of the sender, and country or state of issuance of driving license of the sender.