System for and Method of Remote Secure Backup

• US 20100031063A1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KoolSpan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KoolSpan, Inc.
• Inventors: Fascenda, Anthony, Benware, Paul, Cichielo, Robert, Sturniolo, Emil
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

Systems and methods for registering a module for backup, backing up a module, and restoring a backed up module are provided.

Claims

1. A method of securely registering a module for backup, wherein the module comprises at least one nonvolatile memory and a processor, the method comprising:

provisioning a module;

generating a backup key for the module;

encrypting the backup key using an export key;

transmitting the encrypted backup key and other information to a backup center; and

storing the encrypted backup key and the other information with the backup center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup key is unique to the module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the module comprises a first nonvolatile memory and a second nonvolatile memory, wherein the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory are logically partitioned portions of a single physical persistent memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the module lacks a power supply.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a form factor of the module may be one or more of the following:

a Secure Digital Card (“

SD”

), mini SD, micro SD, PCMCIA, P2, Compact Flash, Memory Stick, PRO Memory Stick, PRO Duo Memory Stick, Micro Memory Stick, Multi Media Card, SmartMedia Memory Card, MultiMedia Memory Card, Reduced Size MultiMedia Memory Card, MultiMedia Memory Card Mobile, MultiMedia Memory Card Plus, MultiMedia Memory Card Micro, xD Memory Card, SIP, DIP and Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

).

6. A method of securely backing up a module with cryptographic parameters, wherein the module comprises at least one nonvolatile memory and a processor, the method comprising:

determining whether user blocks or sectors of data have changed on a module;

encrypting the changed blocks or sectors of data using a backup key;

transmitting the encrypted changed blocks or sectors of data to a backup center; and

storing the changed memory blocks or sectors in storage associated with the backup center.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the backup key is static.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the backup key is generated and transmitted to the backup center with the encrypted changed blocks or sectors of data.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the module comprises a first nonvolatile memory and a second nonvolatile memory, wherein the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory are logically partitioned portions of a single physical persistent memory.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the module lacks a power supply.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein a form factor of the module may be one or more of the following:

a Secure Digital Card (“

SD”

), mini SD, micro SD, PCMCIA, P2, Compact Flash, Memory Stick, PRO Memory Stick, PRO Duo Memory Stick, Micro Memory Stick, Multi Media Card, SmartMedia Memory Card, MultiMedia Memory Card, Reduced Size MultiMedia Memory Card, MultiMedia Memory Card Mobile, MultiMedia Memory Card Plus, MultiMedia Memory Card Micro, xD Memory Card, SIP, DIP and Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

).

12. A method of securely restoring a new module with cryptographic parameters, wherein the new module comprises at least one nonvolatile memory and a processor, the method comprising:

registering a new module;

reading an original backup key into a master module, the original backup key associated with an old module;

decrypting the original backup key;

reading a new backup key into the master module, the new backup key associated with the new module;

reading original user data from backup storage;

decrypting the original user data using the original backup key;

encrypting the decrypted original user data using the new backup key; and

transmitting the user data encrypted using the new backup key to the new module and the backup storage.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising destroying the original user data and the original backup key.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the steps of decrypting the original backup key, decrypting the original user data, and encrypting the decrypted original user data occur within the master module.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the module comprises a first nonvolatile memory and a second nonvolatile memory, wherein the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory are logically partitioned portions of a single physical persistent memory.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the module lacks a power supply.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein a form factor of the module may be one or more of the following:

a Secure Digital Card (“

SD”

), mini SD, micro SD, PCMCIA, P2, Compact Flash, Memory Stick, PRO Memory Stick, PRO Duo Memory Stick, Micro Memory Stick, Multi Media Card, SmartMedia Memory Card, MultiMedia Memory Card, Reduced Size MultiMedia Memory Card, MultiMedia Memory Card Mobile, MultiMedia Memory Card Plus, MultiMedia Memory Card Micro, xD Memory Card, SIP, DIP and Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

).

18. A system for securely registering a module for backup, comprising:

a master module comprising at least a cryptographic key, the master module operable to encrypt data according to the cryptographic key;

a backup center, in communication with the master module and a module, the backup center comprising off-site storage and a backup key database, the backup center operable to store encrypted data from the module and recall data to the module or to a second module.

19. A system for securely backing up a module with cryptographic parameters, comprising:

A module, the module comprising at least one nonvolatile memory and a processor, the module in communication with a backup center, wherein the module is operable to encrypt data changed after a historical time, and transmit the encrypted changed data to the backup center.

20. The system of claim 19, where the historical time is the time the module last transmitted encrypted changed data to the backup center.