Randomness for encryption operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9325642-B2
Application number	US-201213481077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2012
Priority date	May 26, 2011
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs for generating random values for encryption operations are described. In some examples, information from a message to be encrypted can be used to refresh the state of a pseudorandom generator. In some aspects, a state parameter of the pseudorandom generator is modified based on information in the message. Modifying the state parameter changes the state parameter from a prior state to a refreshed state based on the information in the message. A random output value is obtained by the pseudorandom generator in the refreshed state. The message is encrypted based on the random output value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented encryption method, comprising:
accessing a message, by a data processing device, wherein accessing the message comprises extracting a portion of the message;
modifying a state parameter of a pseudorandom generator implemented by the data processing device, wherein modifying the state parameter changes the state parameter from a prior state value of the pseudorandom generator to a refreshed state value of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the message and the prior state value of the pseudorandom generator;
obtaining, by the data processing device, a random output value by the pseudorandom generator using the refreshed state value;
encrypting, by the data processing device, the message using the random output value, wherein the message includes the extracted portion of the message; and
sending the encrypted message to a recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the message comprises encrypting the message according to a public key encryption scheme based on a public key value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the message comprises encrypting the message according to a symmetric key encryption scheme based on a shared secret value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the message based on the random output value comprises
generating a shared secret based on the random output value and a public key value; and
using the shared secret to encrypt the message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the message based on the random output value comprises
generating a padded message by combining the random output value and the message according to a padding function; and
encrypting the padded message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pseudorandom generator defines an ordered sequence of state values that each correspond to an output value, the refreshed state value corresponds to the random output value obtained, and the method further includes updating the state parameter to a subsequent state value that follows the refreshed state value in the ordered sequence.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the pseudorandom generator defines an ordered sequence of state values including the prior state value, a subsequent state value that follows the prior state value in the ordered sequence, and the refreshed state value; and
modifying the state parameter of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the message includes using the extracted portion of the message as a refresh value to change the state parameter to the refreshed state value, and the refreshed state value is different from the subsequent state value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the state parameter of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the message increases an entropy of the random output value from an adversary's perspective.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are operable when executed by a data processing device to perform operations for encrypting data, the operations comprising:
accessing by the data processing device, an unencrypted message, wherein accessing the message comprises extracting a portion of the unencrypted message;
modifying, by the data processing device, a state parameter of a pseudorandom generator based on the extracted portion of the unencrypted message, wherein modifying the state parameter changes the state parameter from a prior state value of the pseudorandom generator to a refreshed state value of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the unencrypted message and the prior state value of the pseudorandom generator;
obtaining, by the data processing device, a random output value by the pseudorandom generator using the refreshed state value;
generating, by the data processing device, an encrypted message using the unencrypted message and the random output value, wherein the encrypted message is generated by encrypting the unencrypted message that includes the extracted portion of the message; and
sending the encrypted message to a recipient.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating the encrypted messages comprises encrypting the unencrypted message according to a public key encryption scheme based on a public key value.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating the encrypted messages comprises encrypting the unencrypted message according to a symmetric key encryption scheme based on a shared secret value.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the operations further comprising updating the state parameter to a next state value after the refreshed state value in an ordered sequence defined by the pseudorandom generator.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein modifying the state parameter of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the unencrypted message comprises using the extracted portion of the unencrypted message as a refresh value to refresh the state parameter.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the encrypted message is generated based on an encryption algorithm, and the encryption algorithm uses the random output value to randomize an operation of the encryption algorithm.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein modifying the state parameter of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the unencrypted message increases an entropy of the random output value from an adversary's perspective.

16. A system that includes a terminal, the terminal comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a message;
a pseudorandom generator that includes a state parameter and provides a random output value based on the state parameter;
an encryption system that:
accesses the message using a data processing device, wherein accessing the message comprises extracting a portion of the message;
changes, using the data processing device, the state parameter of the pseudorandom generator from a prior state value of the pseudorandom generator to a refreshed state value of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the message and the prior state value of the pseudorandom generator;
obtains, using the data processing device, a random output value by the pseudorandom generator using the refreshed state value; and
obtains, using the data processing device, an encrypted message using the message and the random output value, wherein the encrypted message is obtained by encrypting the message that includes the extracted portion of the message; and

a communication interface that transmits the encrypted message over a public channel.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the terminal comprises a first terminal, the system further comprises a second terminal operable to receive the encrypted message.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the message is encrypted based on a public key value, and the second terminal includes a decryption system operable to decrypt the encrypted message based on a private key value corresponding to the public key value.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the pseudorandom generator defines an ordered sequence of state values, and obtaining the random output value updates the state parameter to a next state value in the ordered sequence.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein changing the state parameter of the pseudorandom generator using the extracted portion of the message comprises using the extracted portion of the message as a re

Assignees

• Zaverucha Gregory Marc
• Brown Daniel Richard L
• Certicom Corp

Inventors

• Zaverucha Gregory Marc
• Brown Daniel Richard L

Classifications

• H04L51/00 Primary

  User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail · CPC title

• H04L9/0662

  with particular pseudorandom sequence generator · CPC title

• H04L9/0656

  Pseudorandom key sequence combined element-for-element with data sequence, e.g. one-time-pad [OTP] or Vernam's cipher · CPC title

• G06F7/582

  Pseudo-random number generators · CPC title

• H04L9/14

  using a plurality of keys or algorithms · CPC title