Data Security Method and System

• US 20090327733A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forcepoint Federal Holdings LLC (Forcepoint LLC)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ostermann, Jason E., McDougal, Monty D., Smith, Brian N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A method of verifying integrity of a digital file includes receiving the digital file subsequent to exposure to a foreign environment and validating the digital file. The received digital file has an appended signature label that includes one or both of a first hash value and a digital signature. Validating the digital file includes hashing the digital file to obtain a second hash value, retrieving the first hash value from the signature label, and comparing the first hash value and second hash value.

Claims

1. A method of verifying integrity of a digital file comprising:

labeling the digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment, wherein labeling comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a first hash value;

signing the first hash value to create a digital signature;

creating a signature label comprising one or both of the first hash value and the digital signature; and

appending the signature label to the digital file; and

validating the digital file subsequent to exposure to the foreign environment, wherein validating comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a second hash value;

retrieving the first hash value from the signature label;

comparing the first hash value and second hash value; and

removing the signature label from the digital file.

2. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 1, the labeling the digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment further comprising creating a header label comprising one or more user inputs and appending the header label to the digital file.

3. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 2, the validating the digital file subsequent to exposure to the foreign environment further comprising removing the header label from the digital file.

4. A method of verifying integrity of a digital file comprising:

labeling the digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment, wherein labeling comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a first hash value;

signing the first hash value to create a digital signature;

creating a signature label comprising one or both of the first hash value and the digital signature; and

appending the signature label to the digital file.

5. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 4 further comprising:

validating the digital file subsequent to exposure to the foreign environment, wherein validating comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a second hash value;

retrieving the first hash value from the signature label; and

comparing the first hash value and second hash value.

6. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 5 further comprising removing the signature label from the digital file after validating the digital file.

7. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 4 wherein appending the signature label to the digital file renders the digital file unreadable until the signature label is removed from the digital file.

8. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 4, the labeling the digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment further comprising creating a header label comprising one or more user inputs and appending the header label to the digital file.

9. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 5, the validating the digital file subsequent to exposure to the foreign environment further comprising removing the header label from the digital file.

10. A method of verifying integrity of a digital file comprising:

receiving the digital file subsequent to exposure to a foreign environment, the digital file having an appended signature label comprising one or both of a first hash value and a digital signature; and

validating the digital file, wherein validating comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a second hash value;

retrieving the first hash value from the signature label; and

comparing the first hash value and second hash value.

11. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 10 further comprising:

labeling the digital file prior to exposure to the foreign environment, wherein labeling comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a first hash value;

signing the first hash value to create a digital signature;

creating a signature label comprising one or both of the first hash value and the digital signature; and

appending the signature label to the digital file.

12. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 10 further comprising removing the signature label from the digital file after validating the digital file.

13. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 12, the wherein appending the signature label to the digital file renders the digital file unreadable until the signature label is removed from the digital file.

14. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 10, the received digital file further having a header label comprising one or more user inputs, and the validating the digital file further comprising removing the header label from the digital file.

15. The method of verifying integrity of a digital file of claim 11, the labeling the digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment further comprising creating a header label comprising one or more user inputs and appending the header label to the digital file.

16. Logic encoded in computer-readable media operable, when executed on a processor, to:

label a digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment, wherein label comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a first hash value;

signing the first hash value to create a digital signature;

creating a signature label comprising one or both of the first hash value and the digital signature; and

appending the signature label to the digital file; and

validate the digital file subsequent to exposure to the foreign environment, wherein validate comprises;

hashing the digital file to obtain a second hash value;

retrieving the first hash value from the signature label; and

comparing the first hash value and second hash value.

17. The logic encoded in computer-readable media of claim 16 further operable to remove the signature label from the digital file after validating the digital file.

18. The logic encoded in computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein appending the signature label to the digital file renders the digital file unreadable until the signature label is removed from the digital file.

19. The logic encoded in computer-readable media of claim 16, the label a digital file prior to exposure to a foreign environment further comprising creating a header label comprising one or more user inputs and appending the header label to the digital file.

20. The logic encoded in computer-readable media of claim 16, the validate the digital file subsequent to exposure to the foreign environment further comprising removing the header label from the digital file.