Method and apparatus for conducting crypto-ignition processes between thin client devices and server devices over data networks

The present invention relates to a method for establishing a secure communication channel between thin devices (302, 304, 306) and a server computer (37) over an insecure data network (102). A pair of public values is exchanged between )the thin device and the server computer over the data network, with each side generating its own secret key from a self-generated private value along with the received counterpart's public value according to a commonly used key agreement protocol, such as the Diffie-Hellman key agreement protocol. To ensure that the generated secret keys are identical on both sides, a verification process is followed by exchanging a message encrypted by one of two generated secret keys. The secret keys are proved to be identical and secret when the encrypted message is successfully decrypted by the other secret key.