KR20100117888A - System for time stamping e-mail and method for using the system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An email system and a method capable of confirming the time for receiving e-mail data in the future are provided to supply the time for logically proofing the email by applying a TSA service in the e-mail process. CONSTITUTION: An e-mail transmission server(21) connects a time stamp token and e-mail data. The e-mail transmission server transfers mail data to an e-mail receiving server(41). The e-mail receiving server connects the e-mail data and the time stamp token. An e-mail data verification module performs integrity verification and time confirmation about the e-mail data.

Description

Point-of-view email system and method {System for time stamping e-mail and method for using the system}

The present invention provides a time stamp authority (TSA) service capable of legally confirming a time point to the e-mail process so as to provide logically provable time point information on e-mail transmitted and received, thereby proving the existence of the e-mail at a specific point in time And to a method.

The present invention relates to an e-mail system and a method thereof, and more particularly to an e-mail system and a method thereof, which are capable of receiving a time stamp token for e-mail data using a TSA (Time Stamp Authority) The present invention relates to a system and a method for providing point of view information that cannot be modified for an e-mail.

Generally, the Internet is a network that can freely connect and use with the other party freely through a direct connection or service by using a protocol called TCP / IP anywhere in the world, and includes various document files, voice or images as well as basic character information For example, various services such as e-mail, file transfer, and the World Wide Web (WWW) can be used to transfer multimedia information.

As the use of the Internet is rapidly increasing worldwide, it is rapidly increasing in importance as a strategic tool for improving efficiency and productivity in all parts of the existing industry, and continuously creating new business opportunities through the Internet The area is also expanding and various services using the Internet are continuously increasing.

In the information transmission over the Internet, voice and video calls are being used as the latest technology, and various kinds of XML-based messaging services are increasing, but it is most common to exchange important information or data through e-mail can do.

These e-mail services are also diversified and services that can guarantee the privacy of individual or business such as the emergence of secure e-mails, or mass e-mail services that deliver a large number of e-mails such as electronic receipts, e-tax invoices, and bills to many customers. Various types of services are added.

However, the e-mail service provides various functions and is actually used to transmit various documents such as contracts, terms and documents. However, when documents such as contracts, insurance certificates, idea information, Proving exactly when it was delivered is almost impossible. In particular, the proof method when the timing of delivery of the electronic tax invoice or the bill is unclear, or in the case of the idea information, the first idea creator must prove whether they already have or use the corresponding idea information. It is a reality.

In addition, in view of viewpoint confirmation aspect, a general time stamp is information such as time information of email, time information of various logs, and so on, by adding information such as year, month, day, hour, minute and second to corresponding data, Check the time of arrival or arrival. However, such visual information can be manipulated by an administrator or the like who can access it according to a sufficiently impure intention or necessity of operation, and there is no way to confirm the operation.

The service provided to solve this visual problem is the TSA (Time Stamp Authority) service. The TSA service is a service related to the provision of a trusted third party (TTP) that the data existed at a certain point in time, and its necessity is emerging as the e-business using the Internet is activated. to be. The time stamp service can be broadly classified into a time stamping authority (TSA) providing a time stamp service and a user using the time stamp service. TSA is a subject that provides time information to prove the existence of data at a specific point in time. Therefore, the accuracy of the time information provided should be guaranteed.

In addition, the time stamp service enables integrity verification, which is verification of whether additional target data has been changed from the corresponding time or some data has been added or deleted.

The present invention has been made to recognize and solve the problems of the prior art. The present invention provides a system and method for storing and verifying a time stamp token (Time Stamp Token) from a reliable Time Stamp Authority (TSA) service provider with respect to transmitted or received e-mail together with corresponding e-mail data, The present invention provides a method of providing reliability for the point-in-time information of e-mail data and providing reliability to various services related to e-mail.

The system according to the invention comprises: an email client (EMAIL_CLIENT) for composing an email; A system (EMAIL_SENDER) for sending emails; A system for receiving emails (EMAIL_RECEIVER); A time stamp issuing module (TSA_CLIENT) for requesting time stamp token issuance; A timestamp service (TSA_SERVICE) for issuing a timestamp token; It includes a validation module (EMAIL_VERIFIER) that validates and validates time points using email data and timestamp tokens.

Preferably, the email receiving system EMAIL_RECEIVER is separately configured as a third system EMAIL_CC_RECEIVER to be configured independently of an existing email system or service through a method of delivering a reference email or specifying multiple recipients. Give credibility.

As described above, according to the e-mail system and the method capable of confirming the time according to the present invention, a time stamp token is issued from a trusted service provider (TSA Service Provider) By storing it together, it is possible to prove that e-mail data corresponding to a future time point existed at that time, thereby providing an effect of providing reliability to an e-mail data or a service using various e-mails.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims And can be changed.

Features and effects of the present invention described above or not will become more apparent through the following description of the embodiments described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram of an email system capable of checking a time point according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an email system capable of checking a time point using a third email receiving server according to the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, an e-mail sending user system (EMAIL_CLEINT) 10 for creating and sending e-mails uses an e-mail sending service (EMAIL_SENDER) that uses e-mail data 12 using an e-mail client 11 for creating e-mails. (20). The e-mail sending service receiving the e-mail receives the time stamp token 24 from the TSA service (TSA_SERVICE) 30 using the time stamp client module 23 to store the e-mail data 22 as the transmission target. The e-mail data 22 and the issued time stamp token 24 are paired to be verified and validated through an E-mail verification module (EMAIL_VERIFIER) 100 when verification is required. Separately, if such a service is required on the receiving side of the email, the email receiving service (EMAIL_RECEIVER) 40 receives the received email data 42 from the TSA service (TSA_SERVICE) 30 using the time stamp client module 43. The timestamp token 44 is issued and stored. This is the case when integrity verification and visual verification are required for the received data. The sender's e-mail point of time confirmation method and the receiver's e-mail point of time confirmation method can be applied to each as necessary.

In this case, it may be necessary for the sender to additionally set whether to issue a timestamp token according to a policy of a sender mail service or a sender's policy. That is, an example may be a method of issuing only when it is transmitted to a specific recipient or setting a specific reserved word in an e-mail subject.

In addition, in the receiver side, it may be necessary to additionally set whether to issue a timestamp token according to the policy of the receiving mail service or the recipient's policy. That is, it may not be necessary to issue a mail to be registered or classified as spam, or it may be necessary to issue a timestamp token only for mail selected from a mail list received by a recipient. However, in the latter case, since the time has elapsed, it is impossible to check the time point of the reception point, and only the time point of the execution time.

2 relates to a method of performing an e-mail point-of-view through a third e-mail receiving system rather than providing an e-mail point-of-view service in an e-mail system of a sender side or an e-mail system of a receiver side. The use of a third party email receiving system may be beneficial in providing more objective results in terms of verification than an email viewing system operated by the sender or recipient.

A method of using a third party e-mail receiving system can be achieved by using a method of reference (CC) included in the proprietary protocol of e-mail or by specifying a plurality of receivers and assigning one of them to the receiver of the third party e-mail receiving system It is possible.

Email data created through the email sending user system (EMAIL_CLEINT) 50 is delivered to the email receiving service (EMAIL_RECEIVER) 70 of the recipient or multiple recipients via the email sending service (EMAIL_SENDER) 60 and either It is also forwarded to a third party email receiving service (EMAIL_CC_RECEIVER) 80 designated as one of the referrers. The third party e-mail receiving service, which has received the e-mail, issues a time stamp token (TST) 84 to the e-mail data 82 from the TSA using the time stamp client module 83, keep it. Similar to the verification method, integrity verification and time verification are possible by using the time stamp token for the stored email data and the verification target email data through the email verification module (EMAIL_VERIFIER) 100.

For example, a method of using a third party e-mail receiving service will be described later. A user who wants to receive the service receives an e-mail receiving account after registering with the third party e-mail receiving service. Alternatively, there may be a separate mail account for services or a separate shared account. After that, if you want to receive the point-in-time confirmation mail, put the e-mail account registered in the third-party e-mail receiving service in the recipient item or reference item and send it. The e-mail is transmitted to the third party e-mail receiving service by the e-mail protocol, and the program of the receiving service is registered after confirming whether or not the account is registered, or when receiving the time stamp token in the case of the service account according to the reserved account, It is kept together with one email data.

Email data and timestamp token data must be logically linked. Here, logical means that there must be a method for retrieving or retrieving counterpart data from one of the two data. This can be done simply by holding the two files together, by using certain key values in the database in common, by using the same name and using different extensions for the file system, or by using a unique message ID There may be various methods such as using information as a kind of key when storing the timestamp token.

In the event that future legal issues or various occasions are needed to identify the point of view, it is possible to retrieve the required e-mails stored in the third-party e-mail receiving service and to bring the associated timestamp token together and verify it through the verification program.

The following table shows the data delivered in the actual e-mail receiving part. Email data is composed of sender, receiver, visual information, forwarded message and attachment.

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From: "Sim, Jaehoon"<neolook@hotmail.com>
To: <neolook@signmail.com>
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Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 14:46:17 +0900
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The time stamp service is a digital signature after constructing a structure consisting of a hashed value of data subject to issuing a time stamp and time information obtained from a reliable time source. The timestamp service is available in a variety of services such as the IETF standard RFC3161 and ISO standard 18014-3. In Korea, RFC3161-based time stamp services are currently provided, while some foreign services provide time stamp services according to the ISO 18014-3 method. Each difference is as follows. RFC3161 provides a timestamp token in the form of an electronic signature with one timestamp token linked to one message, which proves that the verification is effective in itself. It has a disadvantage. On the other hand, the method of ISO 18014-3 solves the PKI-based private key dependence of RFC3161 by combining the past timestamp token and the issued timestamp token by using a hash function. In addition, when verifying, the institution that issued the time stamp token must be verified only by calculating with the past time stamp token. In the present invention, even though the service described above or the future time stamp service uses its own method provided by each service, the method of issuing and verifying the time stamp token is not separately referred to.

The time stamp service may not only have a variety of service providing methods but also a plurality of service providers. Therefore, it may be possible to selectively operate according to the policy of the e-mail system operator or the policy of the e-mail system user after having multiple modules for issuing a time stamp token. In this case, it would be desirable to store not only the issued timestamp token, but also additional information on the timestamp service as needed.

Another example would be to use an existing email system without modifying it. If a server for performing a function according to the present invention is provided on the TCP / IP in place of the actual e-mail service system, a service providing port (PORT) is provided along with a URL or IP of an existing e-mail server, You will receive email data on behalf of the server. If the received email data is processed according to the method proposed by the present invention and then the received email is transmitted to the original email server, the present invention can be applied with minimal modification to the existing email system.

1 is a block diagram of an email system capable of confirming a time point and a method thereof according to the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of an e-mail system and method capable of confirming a time point by a third-party e-mail receiving system according to the present invention.

3 is a block diagram of an e-mail point verification module.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10. EMAIL CLIENT

11. Email client

12. Email data to send

20. Email sending service (EMAIL_SENDER)

21. E-mail sending server

22. Sending Email Data

23. Timestamp Client Module

24. Issued Timestamp Token (TST)

30. TSA Service (TSA_SERVICE)

31.TSA server

40. Email Receive Service (EMAIL_RECEIVER)

41. Email receiving server

42. Received Email Data

43. Timestamp Client Module

44. Issued Timestamp Token (TST)

50. Email sending user system (EMAIL CLIENT)

51. Email client

52. Sending Email Data

60. Email sending service (EMAIL_SENDER)

61. Email sending server

62. Sending Email Data

70. Email Receive Service (EMAIL_RECEIVER)

71. Email Receiving Server

72. Received Email Data

80. Third party email receiving service (EMAIL_CC_RECEIVER)

81. Third party email receiving server

82. Received Email Data

83. Timestamp Client Module

84. Issued Timestamp Token (TST)

100. Email Verification Module (EMAIL_VERIFIER)

101. Validated email data

102. Timestamp Token (TST) for Validated Email Data

Claims (13)

A network communication network for transmitting and receiving email; After receiving the email data created by the sender through the network communication network, the timestamp token received through the timestamp issuing module for issuing a timestamp token is logically connected to the email data and stored therein, and then receiving the email data. An email sending server for delivering to the email receiving server; After receiving the e-mail data from the e-mail sending server or a general e-mail sending server, the time stamp token issued through the time stamp issuing module for issuing a time stamp token for the received e-mail data is logically connected to the e-mail data. An email receiving server; An email data verification module, comprising an email data verification module for performing reliable timing and integrity verification on email data logically associated with a timestamp token. A network communication network for transmitting and receiving email; After receiving the email data created by the sender through the network communication network, the timestamp token received through the timestamp issuing module for issuing a timestamp token is logically connected to the email data and stored therein, and then receiving the email data. An email sending server for delivering to the email receiving server; An email data verification module, comprising an email data verification module for performing reliable timing and integrity verification on email data logically associated with a timestamp token. A network communication network for transmitting and receiving email; An e-mail receiving server for receiving and receiving e-mail data from an e-mail sending server and logically connecting the e-mail data with a time stamp token issued through a time stamp issuing module for receiving a time stamp token for the received e-mail data; An email data verification module, comprising an email data verification module for performing reliable timing and integrity verification on email data logically associated with a timestamp token. The method according to claim 1 and 3, The e-mail receiving server can set the time stamp token according to the e-mail receiving server's policy or the recipient's policy. The method according to claim 1 and 2, The e-mail sending server may set the time stamp token according to the e-mail sending server's policy or the sender's policy. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 5, Policies on the email sending server or email receiving server, Or the sender's or receiver's policy, All or part of the e-mail account information of the sender, all or part of the e-mail account information of the recipient, all or part of the e-mail subject, all or part of the e-mail contents, attachment form, attachment file name, The e-mail system of which a point in time can be checked, characterized in that there is a setting for at least one or more of the file extension type, all or part of the attachment file contents, and selection according to the spam e-mail setting information. The method according to claim 1 and 2 and 3, The email sending server or email receiving server does not automatically issue timestamp tokens. After email transmission and reception is completed, request issuance of a timestamp token for the email selected by the email sender or recipient; When the sender is an e-mail sending server, if the receiver is an e-mail receiving server issuing a time stamp token at each request time, e-mail system capable of checking the time The method according to claim 1 and 2 and 3, The timestamp token issuance module acts as a plug-in module for the email sending server or email receiving server, Alternatively, the server owns a URL or IP on the real TCP / IP of the server and a port for providing a service, receives email data on behalf of the server, and issues a timestamp token for the received email data. After processing the procedure, it is possible to deliver the email data only to the original email sending server or email receiving server, thereby eliminating the need to change the existing email system. The method according to claim 1, wherein E-mail system capable of checking the time point, characterized in that a specific time stamp token issuing service can be used by selecting a specific time stamp token issuing service according to the policy of the corresponding e-mail transmission / reception service or the selection of the sender or the receiver. The method according to claim 1, wherein The logical connection of the email data and the timestamp token is How to use the message ID of an email as a key to find a timestamp token, how to combine the two pieces of data into one data, how to match part or all of a file name when managed as a file, stored in a database or stored in a database If including a method of sharing one or more keys of the database; A point-in-time e-mail system, characterized in that the data of the other party can be logically obtained from one of the two data through one or more of the above methods. A network communication network for transmitting and receiving email; A first step of receiving an e-mail data by an e-mail sending server or an e-mail receiving server receiving e-mail data in the network communication network; A second step of issuing a timestamp token through the timestamp issuing module with respect to the received e-mail data; A third step of logically connecting and storing the received email data and the issued timestamp token; Storing the e-mail point of time confirmation information up to and including; A fourth step of selecting e-mail data for which point of view is required; A fifth step of obtaining a timestamp token logically associated with the e-mail data for which point in time confirmation is necessary; A sixth step of verifying integrity and timing information of the email data and the timestamp token that need to be checked through a time stamp verification module; Email management method capable of checking the time, characterized in that it comprises a verification step up to The method of claim 11, The logical link between the fourth stage email data and the fifth stage timestamp token, How to use the message ID of an email as a key to find a timestamp token, how to combine the two pieces of data into one data, how to match part or all of a file name when managed as a file, stored in a database or stored in a database If including a method of sharing one or more keys of the database; A method for managing an e-mail point of view, characterized in that the data of the other party can be logically obtained from one of the two data through one or more of the above methods. The method of claim 11, After the sender registers his or her e-mail account with a third-party e-mail receiving system that owns the above method other than the e-mail sending system to which he belongs, or recognizes an e-mail account that can receive the above separate service, A method of managing an e-mail, wherein the method can be used by sending an e-mail after adding to the recipient information of the e-mail for transmitting the e-mail account information or adding to the reference information or adding to the hidden reference information.

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