System and method for controlling access to a user secret
First Claim
1. A data recovery center, comprising:
- means for receiving an access rule from an access rule defining system in communication with the data recovery center, wherein said access rule includes an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field;
means for generating an access rule index and associating said access rule index with said access rule, wherein an access rule index is included within a data recovery field and allows the data recovery center to locate an access rule that control access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within a data recovery field; and
means for communicating said access rule index to said access rule defining system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for data escrow cryptography are described. An encrypting user encrypts a message using a secret storage key (KS) and attaches a data recovery field (DRF), including an access rule index (ARI) and KS, to the encrypted message. The DRF and the encrypted message are stored in a storage device. To recover KS, a decrypting user extracts and sends the DRF to a data recovery center (DRC) that issues a challenge based on access rules (ARs) originally defined by the encrypting user. If the decrypting user meets the challenge, the DRC sends KS in a message to the decrypting user. Generally, KS need not be an encryption key but could represent any piece of confidential information that can fit inside the DRF. In all cases, the DRC limits access to decrypting users who can meet the challenge defined in either the ARs defined by the encrypting user or the ARs defined for override access.
282 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A data recovery center, comprising:
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means for receiving an access rule from an access rule defining system in communication with the data recovery center, wherein said access rule includes an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field; means for generating an access rule index and associating said access rule index with said access rule, wherein an access rule index is included within a data recovery field and allows the data recovery center to locate an access rule that control access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within a data recovery field; and means for communicating said access rule index to said access rule defining system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method in a data recovery center, comprising the steps of:
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(1) receiving an access rule from an access rule defining system in communication with the data recovery center, wherein said access rule includes an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field; (2) generating an access rule index and associating said access rule index with said access rule, wherein an access rule index is included within a data recovery field and allows the data recovery center to locate an access rule that control access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within a data recovery field; and (3) communicating said access rule index to said access rule defining system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In an environment comprising a data recovery center and a access rule defining system, a method in said access rule defining system comprising the steps of:
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(1) generating an access rule, said access rule including an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field; (2) registering said access rule with said data recovery center; (3) receiving from said data recovery center registration information resulting from registering said access rule with said data recovery center; and (4) storing said registration information in an access rule index file, wherein registration information is included within a data recovery field and allows said data recovery center to locate an access rule that controls access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within the data recovery field. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A controller for enabling a processor to control access to user secret data, comprising:
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means for enabling said processor to generate an access rule, said access rule including an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field; means for enabling said processor to register said access rule with a data recovery center; means for enabling said processor to receive from said data recovery center registration information resulting from registering said access rule with said data recovery center; and means for enabling said processor to store said registration information in an access rule index file, wherein registration information is included within a data recovery field and allows said data recovery center to locate an access rule that control access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within the data recovery field. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A controller for enabling a processor to register a access rule defining system for data access control operations, comprising:
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means for enabling said processor to receive an access rule from an access rule defining system in communication with the data recovery center, wherein said access rule includes an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field; means for enabling said processor to generate an access rule index and associating said access rule index with said access rule, wherein an access rule index is included within a data recovery field and allows the data recovery center to locate an access rule that control access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within a data recovery field; and means for enabling said processor to communicate said access rule index to said access rule defining system. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An access rule defining system comprising:
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means for generating an access rule, said access rule including an authentication test or a compound authorization rule, said access rule defining at least a portion of a procedure for authenticating an identity of an emergency decryptor, wherein emergency decryption comprises decryption using a data recovery field; means for registering said access rule with said data recovery center; means for receiving from said data recovery center registration information resulting from registering said access rule with said data recovery center; and means for storing said registration information in an access rule index file, wherein registration information is included within a data recovery field and allows said data recovery center to locate an access rule that controls access, by an emergency decryptor, to a secret within the data recovery field. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification