Systems and methods for secure short messaging service and multimedia messaging service

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing (for example, creating, transmitting, delivering, encrypting, storing, and the like) secure SMS (short message service) and secure MMS (multimedia messaging service) communications are disclosed.

1 . A short messaging service (SMS) system configured for secure communications, the SMS system comprising:
 a software module configured for use on a mobile device, wherein the software module is configured to encrypt an SMS message via a first encryption; and   a gateway configured to communicate with the mobile device, wherein the gateway is configured to receive the encrypted SMS message from the mobile device.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gateway is configured to decrypt the encrypted SMS message received from the mobile device. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the gateway is configured to re-encrypt the decrypted SMS message via a second encryption. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first encryption and the second encryption are different. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the gateway is configured to transmit the re-encrypted SMS message to a mobile device. 
   
   
       6 . A method of securing short messaging service (SMS) communications, the method comprising:
 encrypting, at a mobile device, an SMS message;   transmitting the encrypted SMS message to a gateway;   decrypting, at the gateway, the encrypted SMS message;   re-encrypting, at the gateway, the decrypted SMS message; and   transmitting the re-encrypted SMS message to a recipient.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the message is encrypted at a mobile device via a first encryption, and wherein the decrypted message is re-encrypted at the gateway via a second encryption different from the first encryption. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising transmitting, to a mobile device, a delivery confirmation responsive to delivery of the re-encrypted SMS message to a recipient. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising transmitting, to a mobile device, an open confirmation responsive to the re-encrypted SMS message being accessed by a recipient. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein, at the mobile device, information identifying the recipient of the message is encrypted with the message. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the decrypting, at the gateway, further comprises determining a recipient of the encrypted message. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising dividing, at the mobile device, the encrypted message into at least two encrypted sub-messages, wherein the at least two encrypted sub-messages are configured according to an SMS protocol for transmittal to the gateway. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising assembling, at the gateway, the at least two encrypted sub-messages to reconstitute the encrypted message. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising updating, at the mobile device, an encryption key associated with the mobile device, wherein the updating is responsive to a key update command transmitted by the gateway. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising queuing, at the gateway, at least one message associated with the mobile device, wherein the queuing is responsive to a key update command transmitted by the gateway. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising processing, at the gateway, the at least one queued message, wherein the processing is responsive to a key change acknowledgement message transmitted from the mobile device to the gateway. 
   
   
       18 . A communication system for securely delivering a message to a mobile device, the system comprising:
 a first software module configured as a gateway, wherein the first software module is configured to encrypt at least one of a short messaging service (SMS) message or a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message for delivery to the mobile device; and   a second software module configured for use on the mobile device, wherein the second software module is further configured to decrypt at least one of the encrypted SMS message or the encrypted MMS message received from the first software module, and wherein the information in at least one of the encrypted SMS message or the encrypted MMS message was received at the first software module from a third party.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second software module comprises an encrypted address book. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second software module is configured to be locked after a period of inactivity. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein access to the second software module is protected by a password. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the second software module is configured to delete at least one item of information, wherein the deletion is responsive to a selected number of failed authentication attempts. 
   
   
       23 . A method of securely delivering a message to a mobile device, the method comprising:
 dividing the message into at least two sub-messages, wherein the at least two sub-messages are configured according to at least one of a short messaging service (SMS) protocol or a multimedia messaging service (MMS protocol);   encrypting the at least two sub-messages;   transmitting the at least two encrypted sub-messages to a mobile device according to at least one of an SMS protocol or a MMS protocol;   decrypting, at the mobile device, the at least two encrypted sub-messages; and   combining, at the mobile device, the at least two decrypted sub-messages to form the message.   
   
   
       24 . A method of securely delivering a message to a mobile device, the method comprising:
 encrypting the message;   dividing the encrypted message into at least two sub-messages;   transmitting the at least two sub-messages to a mobile device according to at least one of an SMS protocol or an MMS protocol;   combining, at the mobile device, the at least two sub-messages to form an encrypted message; and   decrypting, at the mobile device, the encrypted message.   
   
   
       25 . A method of deleting information on a mobile device, comprising:
 transmitting, to a mobile device, an encrypted short messaging service (SMS) message comprising a wipe instruction; and   deleting, at the mobile device, at least one item of information responsive to the wipe instruction.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising transmitting, from the mobile device, a message confirming deletion of the at least one item of information. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one item of information is a database of at least one of SMS messages or MMS messages.