Cryptographic expansion device and related protocols

Abstract

A cryptographic expansion device that can be attached to a communication component of a communication device to enable the communication device to perform cryptographic operations on communications sent to and from the communication device is described. When used with a communication device, the cryptographic expansion device enables the communication device to send and received end-to-end secure encrypted communications. The cryptographic expansion device can be used with a communication device without requiring any changes to the internal software or hardware of the communication device and without requiring any modification to the communication protocols of the communication device. In some embodiments, the end-to-end secure communications enabled by the cryptographic expansion device can be utilized by a user of the communication device to perform financial and / or banking transactions.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 510,023, entitled “Systems and Methods for Secure Mobile Communication,” filed Jul. 20, 2011, the contents of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference for all purposes.[0002]This application is related to commonly owned Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Mobile Banking System with Cryptographic Expansion Device,” filed Jul. 20, 2012, the contents of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference for all purposes.BACKGROUND[0003]In developing countries and rural areas, less than 10% of the population may have access to banking services from traditional brick-and-mortar banks. In such areas, a bank may be physically located too far away for a majority of the population to travel to. And even if a bank is nearby, it may be the only bank location in the vicinity of a vast region covering a large num...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Embodiments of the present invention disclose a cryptographic expansion device that can be attached to a communication component of a communication device to enable the communication device to perform cryptographic operations on communications sent to and from the communication device. When used with a communication device, the cryptographic expansion device enables the communication device to send and received end-to-end secure encrypted communications. The cryptographic expansion device according to various embodiments can be used with a communication device without requiring any changes to the internal software or hardware of the communication device and without requiring any modification to the communication protocols used by the communication device. In some embodiments, the end-to-end secure communications enabled by the cryptographic expansion device can be utilized by a user of the communication device to perform financial and / or banking transactions.

Problems solved by technology

In such areas, a bank may be physically located too far away for a majority of the population to travel to.

The brick-and-mortar bank may not have the resources and capacity to adequately support such a large number of customers, resulting in long wait times and inconvenience for the bank's customers.

In most developing countries, building additional bank branches and / or installing automated teller machines (ATMs) at various locations are often not a viable solution due to the high costs of the complex infrastructure involved.

Even in developed countries where there are more bank branches and ATM locations available, customers may still have limited access to banking services such as services that are not available from ATMs during non-business hours.

Furthermore, certain customers such as the elderly or customers with disabilities may still have difficulty getting to the bank branches or ATM locations.

However, security concerns are often a stumbling block that hinders the wide adoption and growth of mobile banking Most mobile devices lack the capability to securely send end-to-end encrypted communication.

As a result, sensitive information, such as a Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and Primary Account Numbers (PANs), might be sent in plaintext form, creating a vulnerability in which such sensitive information can be intercepted by malicious parties and be used for fraudulent purposes.

While some security measures can be provided by mobile network operators, for example, to provide encryption capabilities at a base station, the protection provided by such solutions is still limited because the communication is still sent in plaintext form at some point during the transmission.

Other solutions require re-provisioning of users' mobile devices, for example, by over the air (OTA) provisioning, and such solutions can be costly in terms of both deployment and operating costs.

Thus, the total cost of ownership (TCO) is also often a stumbling block that prevents the uptake and growth of mobile banking Without a cost-effective and efficient way to securely send and receive communication with mobile devices, mobile banking operators are destined to incur losses or fail to roll out their mobile banking services entirely.

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