SECURE DATA CAPTURE APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

In a postage meter system, a user enters information indicative of a batch of mail pieces to be franked. The mail pieces are franked, and when the batch is completed, data relating to the batch are made the subject of a cryptographic engine. The data are digitally signed, or a message authentication code (MAC) is derived, all in a postal security device (PSD). The data are communicated to a server, where the data are authenticated, preferably by means of public-key cryptographic means. These data are then made available to the postal authority in a secure way.