Database System and Method for Encryption and Protection of Confidential Information

• US 20090100499A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merchant-Link LLC (Shift4 Payments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Merchant-Link LLC (Shift4 Payments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lane, Daniel Joseph, Jaffe, Miriam, Zloth, Susan M., Freedman, Jonathan N., Bauer, Stephanie
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A database system for encryption and protection of confidential data is provided. The database system includes a data source system receiving confidential data and first associated data. A secure data network interface system is connected to the data source system over an open network, the data network interface system receives the confidential data and the first associated data from the data source system and further comprises a secure data storage system coupled to the data network interface system and isolated from the open network, a data encryption system generating a unique encrypted identifier for the confidential data, and a data association system associating the confidential data with the unique encrypted identifier and storing the confidential data, the first associated data and the unique encrypted identifier in the secure data storage system.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An electronic system for encryption and protection of confidential data comprising:

a data source system for transmitting confidential data and first associated data to a secure data network interface system;

a secure data network coupled to the secure data network interface system, the secure data network interface system for receiving the confidential data and the first associated data and generating a unique identifier;

the data source system for storing the first associated data and the unique identifier without the confidential data, so as to prevent unwanted access to the confidential data at the data source system; and

an exception data substitution system for receiving exception data and the unique identifier and transmitting exception response data to the secure data network interface system in response to the exception data.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the data source system can delete the unique identifier after a predetermined period of time.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising a settlement data substitution system for transmitting a settlement request and the unique identifier over the secure data network and for receiving a settlement confirmation and the unique identifier in response.

22. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a data encryption system for generating a unique encrypted identifier for the confidential data; and

a data association system for associating the confidential data with the unique encrypted identifier and for storing the confidential data, the first associated data and the unique encrypted identifier in the secure data storage system.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the exception data substitution system can transmit biometric data to the secure data network interface system in response to the transaction identifier, the exception category data and the unique identifier.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the data source system and the secure data network interface system utilize data fields in a proprietary or pre-existing messaging format to communicate using the unique encrypted identifier.

25. A method for encryption and protection of confidential data in an electronic data processing system comprising:

receiving confidential data and first associated data from a data source system over an open network at a secure data network interface system;

generating a unique encrypted identifier for the confidential data;

transmitting the unique encrypted identifier to the data source system to allow the confidential data to be deleted at the data source system;

receiving exception data from the secure data network;

transmitting the exception data to the data source system; and

receiving exception response data from the data source system in response to the exception data.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing the unique encrypted identifier at the data source system until a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving a settlement request and the unique encrypted identifier from the data source system at the secure data network interface system and transmitting a settlement confirmation and the unique encrypted identifier from the secure data network interface system to the data source system.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising transmitting the exception response data over the secure data network.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising transmitting a transaction identifier, exception category data and the unique encrypted identifier from the secure data network interface system and receiving biometric data in response to the transaction identifier, the exception category data and the unique encrypted identifier.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising using data fields in a proprietary or pre-existing messaging format to communicate using the unique encrypted identifier.

31. An electronic transaction system for encryption and protection of confidential data comprising:

an authorization system for receiving confidential data and first associated data from a data source system;

a data encryption system for generating a unique encrypted identifier for the confidential data; and

a secure data network interface system for receiving exception data from a secure data network and for transmitting the exception data and the unique encrypted identifier to a data source system.

32. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising a settlement system for transmitting a settlement request over the secure data network.

33. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising a reporting system for generating a report comprising one or more of a plurality of transactions associated with the data source system.

34. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising an authorization data substitution system for

35. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising the data source system for receiving the unique encrypted identifier and deleting the confidential data.

36. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising a reporting data substitution system for generating reporting data using the unique encrypted identifier.

37. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising an exception data substitution system for receiving the exception data and the unique encrypted identifier and generating exception response data.

38. The electronic transaction system of claim 31 further comprising a data association system for associating the confidential data with the unique encrypted identifier.