Systems and methods for secure cryptographic secret distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12452046-B2
Application number	US-202318304892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2023
Priority date	Apr 21, 2023
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for secure cryptographic secret distribution are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for secure cryptographic secret distribution may include: (1) receiving, at a key relay station, a cryptographic secret from a webserver over a first communication network; (2) storing, by the key relay station, the cryptographic secret; (3) authenticating, by the key relay station, an end user via an end user electronic device; and (4) securely communicating, by the key relay station, the cryptographic secret to the end user electronic device. The end user electronic device is configured to store the cryptographic secret in secure storage on the end user electronic device, to encrypt data with the cryptographic secret, and to communicate the encrypted data to the webserver over a second communication network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for secure cryptographic secret distribution, comprising:
receiving, at a trusted key relay station quantum device for a trusted key relay station, a cryptographic secret from a webserver quantum device for a webserver over a first communication network
storing, by the trusted key relay station, the cryptographic secret;
authenticating, by the trusted key relay station, an end user via an end user electronic device;
generating, by the trusted key relay station, a machine-readable code comprising the cryptographic secret; and
displaying, by the trusted key relay station, the cryptographic secret on a display on the trusted key relay station;
wherein the end user electronic device is configured to capture an image of the machine-readable code on the display of the trusted key relay station, to extract the cryptographic secret from the machine-readable code, to store the cryptographic secret in secure storage on the end user electronic device, to encrypt data with the cryptographic secret, and to communicate the encrypted data to the webserver over a second communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distilling, by the trusted key relay station and with the webserver, the cryptographic secret using a quantum key distribution protocol.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cryptographic secret comprises a quantum key.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end user electronic device communicates the encrypted data to the webserver using symmetric or asymmetric encryption.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end user electronic device communicates the encrypted data to the webserver over a Transport Layer Security or an Internet Protocol Security tunnel.

6. A method for secure cryptographic secret distribution, comprising:
receiving, at a trusted router quantum device for a trusted router, a cryptographic secret from a webserver quantum device for a webserver via a local content distribution network server over a first communication network; storing, by the trusted router, the cryptographic secret; receiving, by the trusted router, a connection from an end user electronic device on a network provided by the trusted router; authenticating by the trusted router, an end user electronic device; generating, by the trusted router, a machine-readable code comprising the cryptographic secret; displaying by the trusted router, the cryptographic secret on a display on the trusted router; wherein the end user electronic device is configured to capture an image of the machine-readable code on the display of the trusted router, to extract the cryptographic secret from the machine-readable code, to store the cryptographic secret in secure storage on the end user electronic device, to encrypt data with the cryptographic secret, and to communicate the encrypted data to the webserver over a second communication network.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the webserver and the local content distribution network server are configured to distill the cryptographic secret using a quantum key distribution protocol.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the cryptographic secret comprises a quantum key.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the end user electronic device communicates the encrypted data to the webserver using symmetric or asymmetric encryption.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the end user electronic device communicates the encrypted data to the webserver over a Transport Layer Security or an Internet Protocol Security tunnel.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the network provided by the trusted router is a closed network.

12. A system, comprising:
a webserver comprising a webserver quantum device;
a trusted key relay station in communication with the webserver over a first communication network and comprising a trusted key relay station quantum device; and
an end user electronic device;
wherein:
the trusted key relay station quantum device receives a cryptographic secret from the webserver quantum device over the first communication network, stores the cryptographic secret, authenticates an end user via the end user electronic device, generates a machine-readable code comprising the cryptographic secret, and displays the cryptographic secret on a display on the trusted key relay station;
the end user electronic device captures an image of the machine-readable code on the display of the trusted key relay station, extracts the cryptographic secret from the machine-readable code, stores the cryptographic secret in secure storage on the end user electronic device, encrypts data with the cryptographic secret, and communicates the encrypted data to the webserver over a second communication network; and
the webserver decrypts the encrypted data using the cryptographic secret.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the trusted key relay station and the webserver distill the cryptographic secret using a quantum key distribution protocol, and the cryptographic secret comprises a quantum key.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the end user electronic device communicates the encrypted data to the webserver using symmetric or asymmetric encryption.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the end user electronic device communicates the encrypted data to the webserver over a Transport Layer Security or an Internet Protocol Security tunnel.

Assignees

• Jpmorgan Chase Bank Na

Inventors

• Amer Omar
• Lim Charles
• Pistoia Marco
• Lang Andrew
• Rajan Vas
• Chakraborty Kaushik
• Malik Saqib

Classifications

• H04L63/166 Primary

  at the transport layer · CPC title

• H04L9/0827

  involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths (network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18) · CPC title

• H04L63/18

  using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215) · CPC title

• H04L9/0855 Primary

  involving additional nodes, e.g. quantum relays, repeaters, intermediate nodes or remote nodes · CPC title