System and method for facilitating communications based on trusted relationships
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for facilitating communications based on a trusted relationships. A system configured to practice the method first receives a communication request from a second communication device for a specific resource, wherein the communication request is based, at least in part, on trust information generated by a previously established trusted relationship. The system confirms, via an access to a trust database and using the trust information, (1) an identity of a sender of the communication request and (2) access permissions for a requested resource. Then, if the identity and the access permissions are confirmed, the system establishes communications between the first communications device and the second communications device in response to the communication request according to the specific resource. The trust information can include a trust user ID and a trust key.
1. A method comprising:
identifying a trusted relationship between a first user of a first organization and a second user of a second organization, wherein the trusted relationship is assigned one of a plurality of security levels depending on a level of user knowledge;
when the trusted relationship is identified, generating a cryptographic key;
receiving a request to establish a communication between the first user and the second user; and
establishing, via a processor and in response to the request, an encrypted communication between the first user and the second user based on the cryptographic key.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cryptographic key is stored in a mapping table that maps the cryptography key with one of the first user and the second user.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted communication is one of a voice communication, a video communication, and a streaming communication.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted communication is based on a session initiation protocol.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the encrypted communication does not rely on a third-party certificate authority.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received from one of the first user and the second user.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the trusted relationship comprises identifying a prior association between the first user and the second user.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein identifying the prior association comprises searching for communication history common to the first user and the second user.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of security levels is assigned according to one of a message subject, a message time, and a call time associated with the communication history.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the trusted relationship is identified only when the prior association meets a threshold.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the threshold comprises one of a number of associations and a duration of association.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received at the first organization, and wherein identifying the trusted relationship comprises issuing a challenge query from the first organization to the second organization.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the challenge query is based on one of common communication history between the first user and the second user and information known to the second user.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the challenge query is answered by the second user.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user knowledge is based on dynamic information.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cryptographic key is a first cryptographic key associated with the first user, the method further comprising:
generating a second cryptographic key associated with the second user, wherein the encrypted communication is established further based on the second cryptographic key.
17. The system comprising:
a processor; and
a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
identifying a trusted relationship between a first user of a first organization and a second user of a second organization, wherein the trusted relationship is assigned one of a plurality of security levels depending on a level of user knowledge;
when the trusted relationship is identified, generating a cryptographic key;
receiving a request to establish a communication between the first user and the second user; and
in response to the request, establishing an encrypted communication between the first user and the second user based on the cryptographic key.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein identifying the trusted relationship comprises identifying a prior association between the first user and the second user.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the request is received at the first organization, and wherein identifying the trusted relationship comprises issuing a challenge query from the first organization to the second organization.
20. The computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
identifying a trusted relationship between a first user of a first organization and a second user of a second organization, wherein the trusted relationship is assigned one of a plurality of security levels depending on a level of user knowledge;
when the trusted relationship is identified, generating a cryptographic key;
receiving a request to establish a communication between the first user and the second user; and
in response to the request, establishing an encrypted communication between the first user and the second user based on the cryptographic key.