Web Email PKI Account Automation via Certificate Authority
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Web-based Email Systems face complexity and security risks in creating and managing PKI Email Accounts, as users must interact with Certificate Authorities and handle digital keys, complicating the process and potentially compromising security.
Innovation Solution
A coordinated system between a Certificate Authority and a Web-based Email System simplifies the creation of PKI Email Accounts, utilizing a Keystore System for key management, storage, and cryptographic functions, allowing secure digital signing, encryption, and decryption of emails, with the option to access these services over a network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users manually create PKI Email Accounts by contacting Certificate Authorities and transmitting digital keys, then security control is improved, but process complexity and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Certificate Authority as an intermediary entity that manages the PKI Email Account creation process. The CA receives requests from email systems, validates them according to predefined criteria, and issues digital certificates automatically. This mediator approach eliminates the need for users to directly contact CAs or manually handle key transmission, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining security through centralized authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service functionality where the email system automatically handles PKI Email Account creation without requiring manual user intervention. The system sends requests to the Certificate Authority, receives digital certificates, and configures email accounts automatically. This automation reduces the operational burden on users while maintaining security through automated validation and certificate issuance processes.
2Reliability
If users manually handle digital keys and PKI certificates, then security control is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service functionality where the email system automatically handles PKI Email Account creation without requiring manual user intervention. The system sends requests to the Certificate Authority, receives digital certificates, and configures email accounts automatically. This automation reduces the operational burden on users while maintaining security through automated validation and certificate issuance processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex PKI management tasks from the user's operational scope. By separating the certificate issuance process from user operations and handling it through automated system-to-CA communication, the patent removes the burden of manual key management while preserving security. Users simply need to request PKI Email Accounts through the email system, and all cryptographic operations are handled behind the scenes.
3Reliability
If multiple steps are used to create PKI Email Accounts, then security validation is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing communication channels and validation criteria between the email system and Certificate Authority. The system has predefined security validation rules and automated request-response protocols in place before actual account creation is needed. This allows rapid, automated certificate issuance without requiring time-consuming manual verification steps during the account creation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous automated operation of the PKI Email Account creation process. Once the system is configured with Certificate Authority endpoints and validation criteria, the entire account creation workflow can proceed continuously without interruption or manual intervention. The automated request-certificate-configuration cycle operates continuously, eliminating idle time between validation steps.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides systems and methods for allowing an Email User to create a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Email Account and thereafter to digitally sign, send, verify and receive PKI encrypted emails over a computer network, such as the Internet. The systems and methods preferably include a Web-based Email System and a Certificate Authority that coordinate their actions to make the process of creating, maintaining and using the PKI Account as easy as possible for the Email User. In a preferred embodiment, a Keystore System may also be used to enhance the management and use of digital keypairs.