SECURE DATA PARSER METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20120221856A1
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Security First Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Security First Corp
• Inventors: Orsini, Rick L., O'Hare, Mark S., Davenport, Roger, Winick, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/167
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• 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: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A secure data parser is provided that may be integrated into any suitable system for securely storing and communicating data. The secure data parser parses data and then splits the data into multiple portions that are stored or communicated distinctly. Encryption of the original data, the portions of data, or both may be employed for additional security. The secure data parser may be used to protect data in motion by splitting original data into portions of data that may be communicated using multiple communications paths.

Claims

1. A method of managing data blocks in a secure storage appliance, the method comprising:

receiving a block of data associated with a volume, the volume associated with a plurality of shares stored on a plurality of physical storage devices;

storing the block of data in a buffer;

associating the buffer corresponding to a status of the block of data;

processing the block of data by performing at least one cryptographic operation on the block of data; and

upon completion of processing the block of data, updating the state of the block of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the block of data includes cryptographically splitting the block of data into a plurality of secondary data blocks.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of secondary data blocks contain a substantially random distribution of the block of data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the block of data includes reconstituting a primary block of data from a plurality of secondary blocks of data, the plurality of secondary blocks of data including the block of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the block of data includes receiving the block of data from a client device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising establishing a secure connection between the client device and the secure storage appliance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the block of data includes reconstituting the block of data from a plurality of secondary data blocks stored in the plurality of shares.

8. A secure storage appliance comprising:

a plurality of buffers, each buffer capable of holding a block of data having a state selected from among a plurality of states;

a programmable circuit capable of accessing the plurality of buffers, the programmable circuit configured to execute program instructions to;

receive a block of data associated with a volume, the volume associated with a plurality of shares stored on a plurality of physical storage devices;

store the block of data in a buffer from among the plurality of buffers;

associate the buffer with a state corresponding to a status of the block of data;

process the block of data by performing at least one cryptographic operation on the block of data; and

update the state of the block of data upon completion of processing the block of data.

9. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to execute program instructions to cryptographically split the block of data into a plurality of secondary data blocks.

10. The secure storage appliance of claim 9, wherein the plurality of secondary data blocks contain a substantially random distribution of the block of data.

11. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute a primary block of data from a plurality of secondary blocks of data, the plurality of secondary blocks of data including the block of data.

12. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the block of data is received from a client device.

13. The secure storage appliance of claim 12, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to establish a secure connection between the client device and the secure storage appliance.

14. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute the block of data from a plurality of secondary data blocks stored in the plurality of shares.

15. A secure storage network comprising:

a client;

a plurality of physical storage devices; and

a secure storage appliance comprising;

a plurality of buffers, each buffer capable of holding a block of data having a state selected from among a plurality of states;

a programmable circuit capable of accessing the plurality of buffers, the programmable circuit configured to execute program instructions to;

receive a block of data associated with a volume, the volume associated with a plurality of shares stored on a plurality of physical storage devices;

store the block of data in a buffer from among the plurality of buffers;

associate the buffer with a state corresponding to a status of the block of data;

process the block of data by performing at least one cryptographic operation on the block of data; and

update the state of the block of data upon completion of processing the block of data.

16. The secure storage network of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to execute program instructions to cryptographically split the block of data into a plurality of secondary data blocks.

17. The secure storage network of claim 16, wherein the plurality of secondary data blocks contain a substantially random distribution of the block of data.

18. The secure storage network of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute a primary block of data from a plurality of secondary blocks of data, the plurality of secondary blocks of data including the block of data.

19. The secure storage appliance of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to establish a secure connection between the client device and the secure storage appliance.

20. The secure storage appliance of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute the block of data from a plurality of secondary data blocks stored in the plurality of shares.