Email verification

1. Method for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by a client device, the method being performed by a server and comprising:

receiving a request for verifying the identity of the email-address;

in response to receiving the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, generating a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, comprising a private key, PrivK 1 -S, and a public key, PubK 1 -S;

calculating a first verification token, VN- 1 , based on the private key, PrivK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S and a known public key, PubK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device;

transmitting a verification email message to the email-address to be verified comprising the public key, PubK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S, wherein the server signs the verification email message using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

receiving a response to the verification email message including a second verification token, VN- 2 , calculated by the client device based on the private key, PrivK-C, of KP-C and the public key, PubK 1 -S, transmitted in the verification email message, wherein the server verifies the response using the known public key PubK-C;

verifying the identity of the email-address by verifying that VN- 2 is identical to VN- 1 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification tokens, VN- 1 and VN- 2 , are calculated based on a Diffie-Hellman key exchange method, in particular based on an elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange method.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the public key PubK 1 -S is comprised in the header of the verification email message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identity of the email address is verified only for a given amount of time before expiration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises issuing a certificate in response to verifying that VN- 1 is identical to VN- 2 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises deleting the first asymmetric key pair KP 1 -S by the server in response to the verification email being transmitted to the email-address to be verified.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication between the server and the client device is encrypted.

8. Method for verifying an email-address utilized by a client device, the method being performed by the client device and comprising:

sending a request for verifying the identity of the email-address to a server;

receiving a verification email message comprising a public key, PubK 1 -S, of a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, of the server which was generated in response to the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, wherein the verification email message is received by the email-address to be verified, wherein the verification email message is signed using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

calculating a verification token, VN- 2 , based on a private key, PrivK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device and the public key PubK 1 -S received in the verification email message;

transmitting the verification token VN- 2 to the server.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein calculating and transmitting the verification token VN- 2 are performed automatically.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising extracting the public key PubK 1 -S from a header of the received verification email message.

11. A server for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by a client device, the server adapted to:

receive a request for verifying the identity of the email-address;

in response to receiving the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, generate a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, comprising a private key, PrivK 1 -S, and a public key, PubK 1 -S;

calculate a first verification token, VN- 1 , based on the private key, PrivK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S and a known public key, PubK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device;

transmit a verification email message to the email-address to be verified comprising the public key, PubK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S, wherein the server signs the verification email message using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

receive a response to the verification email message including a second verification token, VN- 2 , calculated by the client device based on a private key, PrivK-C, of KP-C and the public key, PubK 1 -S, transmitted in the verification email message, wherein the server verifies the response using the known public key PubK-C;

verify the identity of the email-address by verifying that VN- 2 is identical to VN- 1 .

12. The server of claim 11 , further to calculate the verification tokens, VN- 1 and VN- 2 , based on a Diffie-Hellman key exchange method, in particular based on an elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange method.

13. The server of claim 11 , further to include the public key PubK 1 -S in the header of the verification email message.

14. The server of claim 11 , further cause verification of the identity of the email address only for a given amount of time before expiration.

15. A client device for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by the client device, adapted to:

send a request for verifying the identity of the email-address to a server;

receive a verification email message comprising a public key, PubK 1 -S, of a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, of the server which was generated in response to the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, wherein the verification email message was transmitted to the email-address to be verified, wherein the verification email message is signed using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

calculate a verification token, VN- 2 , based on a private key, PrivK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device and the public key PubK 1 -S received in the verification email message;

transmit the verification token VN- 2 to the server.

16. Method for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by a client device, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request for verifying the identity of the email-address;

in response to receiving the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, generating, at the server, a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, comprising a private key, PrivK 1 -S, and a public key, PubK 1 -S,

calculating, at the server, a first verification token, VN- 1 , based on the private key, PrivK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S and a known public key, PubK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device;

transmitting, from the server to the email-address to be verified, a verification email message comprising the public key, PubK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S, wherein the server signs the verification email message using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

receiving, at the client device, the verification email message;

calculating, at the client device, a second verification token, VN- 2 , based on a private key, PrivK-C, of the key pair KP-C and the public key PubK 1 -S received in the verification email message;

transmitting, from the client device to the server, the verification token VN- 2 ;

verifying, at the server, the identity of the email-address by verifying that VN- 2 is identical to VN- 1 .

17. System for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by a client device, the system comprising the client device and being adapted to:

receive, at the server, a request for verifying the identity of the email-address;

in response to receiving the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, generate, at the server, a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, comprising a private key, PrivK 1 -S, and a public key, PubK 1 -S,

calculate, at the server, a first verification token, VN- 1 , based on the private key, PrivK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S and a known public key, PubK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device;

transmit, from the server to the email-address to be verified, a verification email message comprising the public key, PubK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S, wherein the server signs the verification email message using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

receive, at the client device, the verification email message;

calculate, at the client device, a second verification token, VN- 2 , based on a private key, PrivK-C, of the key pair KP-C and the public key PubK 1 -S received in the verification email message;

transmit, from the client device to the server, the verification token VN- 2 ;

verify, at the server, the identity of the email-address by verifying that VN- 2 is identical to VN- 1 .

18. Computer program product for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by a client device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by one or more server processors, causes the one or more server processors to:

receive a request for verifying the identity of the email-address;

in response to receiving the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, generate a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, comprising a private key, PrivK 1 -S, and a public key, PubK 1 -S;

calculate a first verification token, VN- 1 , based on the private key, PrivK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S and a known public key, PubK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device;

transmit a verification email message to the email-address to be verified comprising the public key, PubK 1 -S, of KP 1 -S, wherein verification email message is signed using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

receive a response to the verification email message including a second verification token, VN- 2 , calculated by the client device based on the private key, PrivK-C, of KP-C and the public key, PubK 1 -S, transmitted in the verification email message;

verify the identity of the email-address by verifying that VN- 2 is identical to VN- 1 .

19. Computer program product for verifying an identity of an email-address utilized by a client device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by one or more client processors, causes the one or more client processors to:

sending a request for verifying the identity of the email-address to a server;

receive a verification email message comprising a public key, PubK 1 -S, of a first asymmetric key pair, KP 1 -S, of the server which was generated in response to the request for verifying the identity of the email-address, wherein the verification email message is received by the email-address to be verified, wherein the verification email message is signed using a private key, PrivK 2 -S, of a second asymmetric key pair, KP 2 -S, of the server;

calculate a verification token, VN- 2 , based on a private key, PrivK-C, of an asymmetric key pair, KP-C, of the client device and the public key PubK 1 -S received in the verification email message;

transmit the verification token VN- 2 to the server.