PASSWORD-LESS SECURITY AND PROTECTION OF ONLINE DIGITAL ASSETS

• US 20130159732A1
• Filed: 09/09/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicolas Leoutsarakos
• Original Assignee: Nicolas Leoutsarakos
• Inventors: LEOUTSARAKOS, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• 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 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

Digital assets stored on an asset server by an asset owner are protected without a password. Instead, the digital assets are functionally handicapped by removing at least a portion of digital data (or a key) associated with the digital asset and discarding the key after being sent to an enabling device. The portion of digital data (or a key) is then handicapped by the enabling device by a cryptographic key which is formed from a human gesture and subsequently discarded. When access to the digital asset is requested, an asset owner is notified by the enabling device for approval. A human gesture from the asset owner first provides a key to reconstitute the digital data portion which is transmitted to the asset server to reconstitute the digital asset upon which the access is granted and logged.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital asset, comprising:

substantially functionally handicapping the digital asset with digital data to prevent normal use;

sending a portion of the digital data to an enabling device, wherein the enabling device substantially functionally handicaps the digital data portion;

discarding the digital data portion from the asset server;

receiving the digital data portion from the enabling device responsive to a request to access the digital asset; and

reconstituting the digital asset using at least the digital data portion to functionally enable the digital asset for normal use.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially functionally handicapping comprises:

substantially functionally handicapping the digital asset with a cryptographic key to prevent normal use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein substantially functionally handicapping comprises:

substantially functionally handicapping the digital asset by removing a portion of bits from the digital asset itself to prevent normal use of the digital asset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the digital data portion to an enabling device, wherein the enabling device substantially functionally handicaps the digital data portion comprises:

the enabling device encrypting the digital data portion with at least data related to unique human input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein unique human input comprises a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional human gesture.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein unique human input comprises at least one of:

a retina scan, a facial scan, a fingerprint scan, and a voice sample.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving digital data portion from the enabling device comprises:

receiving the digital data portion from the enabling device which has decrypted the digital data portion with data from a received unique human input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the portion of the digital data to an enabling device, wherein the enabling device substantially functionally handicaps the digital data portion comprises:

the enabling device encrypting the digital data portion with a unique identifier associated with the enabling device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the portion of the digital data to an enabling device, wherein the enabling device substantially functionally handicaps the digital data portion, comprises:

generating at least two derivative sub-portions of the digital data portion, the two derivative sub-portion corresponding to two keys; and

sending one of the at least two keys to the enabling device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the at least two derivative sub-portions corresponding to two keys comprises:

using a polynomial of a Shamir-type secret splitting algorithm to derive at least two data points which correspond to at least two keys.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing one of the at least two keys on the asset server apart from the digital asset.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to access the digital asset; and

in response, sending a notification to the enabling device to send the digital data portion for reconstitution.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging each access to the digital asset, regardless of whether the digital asset is stored at the asset server.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital asset comprises at least one of:

data, multimedia, an executable application, a configuration file, machine code, and source code.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling device comprises a wireless mobile device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital asset comprises at least one of:

a digital asset, a group of digital assets, and a file system referring to the digital asset.

17. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital asset, comprising:

receiving at least a portion of digital data associated with the digital asset that has been substantially functionally handicapped by removal of the digital data portion, from an asset server;

receiving a unique human input from an owner of the digital asset;

substantially functionally handicapping the digital data portion with data from the unique human input;

responsive to receiving a notification for a request for access to the digital asset, requesting the unique human input from the owner of the digital asset;

reconstituting the digital data portion with the unique human input; and

sending the digital data portion to the asset server to reconstitute the digital asset for normal use.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing source code that, when executed by a processor, performs a method for protecting a digital asset, comprising:

substantially functionally handicapping the digital asset with digital data to prevent normal use;

sending a portion of the digital data to an enabling device, wherein the enabling device substantially functionally handicaps the digital data portion;

discarding the digital data portion from the server;

receiving the digital data portion from the enabling device responsive to a request to access the digital asset; and

reconstituting the digital asset using at least the digital data portion to functionally enable the digital asset for normal use.

19. A system to protect a digital asset, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, comprising;

a handicapping module to substantially functionally handicap the digital asset with digital data to prevent normal use, to send a portion of the digital data to an enabling device, wherein the enabling device substantially functionally handicaps the digital data portion, and discard the portion of digital data; and

a reconstitution module to receive the portion of digital data from the enabling device, and reconstitute the digital asset using the digital data portion to functionally enable the digital asset for normal use.