System and method for proving time and content of digital data in a monitored system

• US 20060053294A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daniel Akenine
• Original Assignee: Daniel Akenine
• Inventors: Akenine, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/220,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053294A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/178
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

Method for monitoring and saving data records in a monitored system (100) with the purpose of preventing the possibility to tamper with said data records at a later time. The inventive method comprises the steps of saving data content together with a time-limited active key and encrypting the data content and active key using an encryption algorithm not possible for the encryptor to decrypt, the encrypted data content and active key forming the data record.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and saving a data record in a monitored system for preventing the possibility to tamper with said data record at a later time, comprising saving data content together with a time-limited active key and encrypting said saved data content and active key using an encryption algorithm not possible for the encryptor to decrypt, said encrypted data content and active key comprising said data record.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating a lock value representing all former data records, and saving the lock value together with said data content and said time-limited active key before performing said encrypting step, said encrypted data content, active key and lock comprising forming said data record.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said lock value is a hash of the data content of the former data record.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said lock value is a hash of the former data record.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said lock value is a hash of the data content of at least two of the former data records.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said lock value is a hash of at least two of the former data records.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said lock value is the data content of the former data record.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein when said data record is a first data record in a set of data records, then said time-limited active key is used as a lock value representing a virtual former data record.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing said time limited active key by a trusted synchronization server.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said time limited active key is a representation of a time interval, during which time interval said time limited active key is valid, said time interval being coded so that only said trusted synchronization server can decode and indicate said time interval.

11. The method d according to claim 9, wherein a UTC time stamp is included in said data record before encryption, representing the claimed creation time of said data record.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing said UTC time stamp is provided by said trusted synchronization server.

13. The method according to claim 9, comprising a synchronization slave module, belonging to said monitored system, handles said time-limited active keys, that the set-up of said synchronization slave in said monitored system comprises the steps of:

registering said synchronization slave module at said trusted synchronization server,

creating a unique ID number that later will be used when installing said synchronization slave module,

creating a unique pattern of active keys for said synchronization slave module, and

saving the pattern of active keys in a pattern storage database belonging to said trusted synchronization server together with the synchronization slave module ID,

where said creation of said unique ID and unique pattern of active keys are performed by said trusted synchronization server.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said pattern of active keys consists of a combination of random keys, and that the time intervals represented by respective key may all be the same or differ between keys.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said pattern of keys comprise a sufficient amount of keys for a long period of time, such as 10 years, from the creation day.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a synchronisation between said synchronization slave module and a synchronization master module belonging to said synchronization server comprises the steps of:

said synchronization slave module sending or receiving a request to connect to said synchronization master module, said request being triggered when the current active key of said synchronization slave module is invalid or soon invalid and said monitored system needs a new active key,

establishing a communication session between said synchronization slave module to said synchronization master module, making it possible to communicate in a safe way, such as a HTTPS session,

said synchronization master module optionally sending a current UTC time stamp to said synchronization slave module,

said synchronization master module retrieving the synchronization slave module ID from said synchronization slave module,

said synchronization master module looking up the next active key from said pattern storage database using the current UTC time and said ID,

said synchronization master module creating a new active key and saving it in said pattern storage database using the current UTC time and said ID if no active key was found in the previous step,

said synchronization master module sending said active key to said synchronization slave module together with information on how long the key will be active, and

disconnecting said session.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a verification of a data record or records comprising the steps of:

a) said monitored system sending all or a part of the data records to a verification provider,

b) said verification provider decrypting said data records using a secret private key only known by said verification provider,

c) said verification provider retrieving all active keys from the data records,

d) said verification provider retrieving all active keys stored in the pattern database for said monitored system,

e) said verification provider comparing all active keys from the pattern database with the active keys stored in the data records,

f) said verification provider giving a negative verification if any active key for a specific claimed creation time in the data file does not match the active key for the same time from the pattern database, and

g) said verification provider giving a positive verification if the keys match.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein when a lock value is used and included in said data record, then a verification of a data record or data records comprises the following steps after step b:

b1) said verification provider running the data records through the same algorithm that was used by the monitored system to generate said lock values,

b2) said verification provider checking that the new generated lock values are the same as the lock values stored in the data records,

b3) said verification provider giving a negative verification if the lock values does not match, and

b4) said verification provider continuing with step c) if the lock values match.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the same server has the role of said synchronization master module and said verification provider.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said monitored system is running on a trusted computing platform.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said monitored system is running on a trusted computing platform, and that said time limited active key is provided by said trusted computing platform.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said time limited active key is a representation of a time interval, during which time interval said time limited active key is valid, that said active key is generated by a trusted internal clock belonging to said trusted computing platform.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said time limited active key is a UTC time stamp representing the time of encryption, said active key being protected in the trusted part of said trusted computing platform.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said UTC time stamp is provided by an internal trusted clock belonging to said trusted computing platform.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said internal trusted clock is synchronized with an external trusted time source.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising a verification of a data record or records comprising the steps of:

a) said monitored system sending all or a part of the data records to a verification provider,

b) said verification provider decrypting said data records using a secret private key only known by said verification provider, and

c) said verification provider giving a positive verification if the active key stored in the data records matches the claimed creation time.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein when a lock value is used and included in said data record, then the verification of a data record or data records comprises the following steps:

b1) said verification provider running the data records through the same algorithm that was used by the monitored system to generate said lock values,

b2) said verification provider checking that the new generated lock values are the same as the lock values stored in the data records,

b3) said verification provider giving a negative verification if the lock values does not match, and

b4) said verification provider continuing with step c) if the lock values match.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein e-mail messages sent and received by said monitored system comprise said data content in said data record.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein all e-mail messages sent and received by said monitored system comprise said data content in said data record.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising predefined rules defining what e-mail messages comprise said data content in said data record.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising a user of said monitored system actively selecting those e-mail messages that comprise said data content in said data record.

32. The method according to claim 1, wherein all network traffic to and from said monitored system comprise said data content in said data record.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein electronic documents stored by said monitored system comprise said data content in said data record.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising predefined rules defining what electronic documents that comprise said data content in said data record.

35. The method according to claim 33, further comprising a user of said monitored system actively selecting electronic documents that comprise said data content in said data record.

36. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a symmetric encryption module belonging to said monitored system performing the steps of:

creating a random symmetric encryption key,

encrypting said data content using said symmetric encryption key and a symmetric encryption algorithm,

optionally repeating the steps above as many times as desired to create as many symmetric encryption keys as desired, and

distributing the symmetric encryption keys to trusted parties for storage.

37. A first computer program product, characterized that said first computer program product comprises first computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, said computer comprises a monitored server of the monitored system according to the method of claim 1.

38. A second computer program product, characterized that said second computer program product comprises second computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, said computer comprises a synchronization server according to the method of claim 9.

39. A third computer program product, characterized that said third computer program product comprises third computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, said computer comprises a verification provider according to the method of claim 17.

40. A fourth computer program product, characterized that said fourth computer program product comprises fourth computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, said computer comprises a verification provider according to the method of claim 26.

41. A computer readable medium comprising the computer program code according to the method fo claim 37.

42. A computer readable medium comprising the computer program code according to the method of claim 38.

43. A computer readable medium comprising the computer program code according to the method of claim 39.

44. A computer readable medium comprising the computer program code according to the method of claim 40.