Systems and methods for secure sharing of information

• US 20070113293A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonomy Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Blumenau, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system. A method for providing secure restricted access to a digital asset includes: encrypting, by a first computing device, a digital asset; creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, permission information associated with the digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the digital asset; creating, by the first computing device, a digital signature corresponding to the executable file; and transmitting, to a second computing device, the executable file and the digital signature. Corresponding systems and computer readable media with executable instructions are also described.

Claims

1. A method for providing secure restricted access to a digital asset, the method comprising:

(a) encrypting, by a first computing device, a digital asset;

(b) creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, permission information associated with the digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the digital asset;

(c) creating, by the first computing device, a digital signature corresponding to the executable file; and

(d) transmitting, to a second computing device, the executable file and the digital signature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises encrypting, by a first computing device, a digital asset, wherein the encryption key used comprises a piece of information known to be located on a recipient computing device;

and wherein step (d) comprises transmitting, to the recipient computing device, the executable file and the digital signature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising an encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the encrypted digital asset, wherein said executable code does not allow a viewer of the encrypted digital asset to modify or copy the digital asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising an encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing and adding annotations to the digital asset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with at least one piece of information corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with a system identifier corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with a CPU identifier corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises creating, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset and at least one additional encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital asset comprises an asset identification tag.

10. A system for providing secure restricted access to a digital asset, the system comprising:

a processor which encrypts a digital asset;

creates an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, permission information associated with the digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the digital asset; and

creates a digital signature corresponding to the executable file; and

a file system driver in communication with the processor which writes the executable file and the digital signature to a memory element.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor encrypts a digital asset, wherein the encryption key used comprises a piece of information known to be located on a recipient computing device;

and further comprising a transceiver which transmits, to the recipient computing device, the executable file and the digital signature.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor creates an executable file, the executable file comprising an encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the encrypted digital asset, wherein said executable code does not allow a viewer of the encrypted digital asset to modify or copy the digital asset.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor creates an executable file, the executable file comprising an encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing and adding annotations to the digital asset.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor creates an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with at least one piece of information corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor creates an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with a system identifier corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor creates an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with a CPU identifier corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor creates an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset and at least one additional encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the digital asset comprises an asset identification tag.

19. A computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon to provide secure restricted access to a digital asset, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to encrypt, by a first computing device, a digital asset;

(b) instructions to create, by the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, permission information associated with the digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the digital asset;

(c) instructions to create, by the first computing device, a digital signature corresponding to the executable file; and

(d) instructions to transmit, to a second computing device, the executable file and the digital signature.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to encrypt comprise instructions to encrypt, by a first computing device, a digital asset, wherein the encryption key used comprises a piece of information known to be located on a recipient computing device;

and wherein step (d) comprises transmitting, to the recipient computing device, the executable file and the digital signature.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to create comprise instructions to create, on a first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising an encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing the encrypted digital asset, wherein said executable code does not allow a viewer of the encrypted digital asset to modify or copy the digital asset.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to create comprise instructions to create, on the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising an encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and viewing and adding annotations to the digital asset.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to create comprise instructions to create, on the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with at least one piece of information corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to create comprise instructions to create, on the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with a system identifier corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to create comprise instructions to create, on the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset, and executable code for re-encrypting the digital asset with a CPU identifier corresponding to a computing device which executes the application, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to create comprise instructions to create, on the first computing device, an executable file, the executable file comprising the encrypted digital asset and at least one additional encrypted digital asset, and executable code for decrypting and accessing the digital asset

27. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the digital asset comprises an asset identification tag.