Data integrity protection for stored data

• US 7,308,542 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, Aidan T., Chicks, R. David, Alabraba, Jay Ferdinand N. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peugh; Brian R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Farrokh; Hashem
• Application Number:
  US10/874,593
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

The present invention leverages selections of data locations and comparative analysis of data values stored in these locations to provide a secure means of maintaining data integrity with minimal computational burdens. This provides, in one instance of the present invention, a tamper-resistant process to ensure that software application usage data is protected from malicious attacks. By storing and recalling data in an untraceable fashion, the present invention substantially increases the effort required to spoof the stored data. Additionally, comparative analysis is utilized with the randomized approach to facilitate in maintaining consistency of the stored data both in retrieval of information and when storing new data values. This allows checking of the data prior to overwriting sensitive data, thwarting malicious attacks that spoof new data as a means to alter the stored data.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates data integrity, comprising:

an access component that interfaces with data values stored in a plurality of data locations;

an integrity component that utilizes a plurality of data values provided by the access component via a random data location selection process to determine a correct value for a desired data item, the plurality of data locations comprising locations with a statistical weight value for each location that influences the random data location selection process; and

a correction component that rectifies the plurality of data values to the correct value determined via the integrity component.

2. The system of claim 1, the data values containing a hardware identification (HWID) that provides association of the data values to relevant hardware.

3. The system of claim 1, the correct value comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a highest value of the plurality of data values and a lowest value of the plurality of data values.

4. The system of claim 1, the correct value comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a latest date and an earliest date.

5. The system of claim 1, the statistical weight value for each location comprising a substantially similar weight value.

6. The system of claim 1, the desired data item comprising a counter value representative of an access count for at least one function of at least one software application.

7. The system of claim 1, the desired data item comprising a date value representative of an initial usage date for at least one function of at least one software application.

8. The system of claim 1, the integrity component further comprising:

a data store component that receives a data value and utilizes the data location selection process to retrieve stored data values for comparison with the data value;

the stored data values are replaced by the received data value if a determination criterion is met.

9. The system of claim 8, the determination criterion comprising a criterion based, at least in part, upon the stored data values being at least one selected from the group consisting of less than the received data value and greater than the received data value.

10. The system of claim 9, the data store component overwrites the stored data values with a highest value stored data value when the received data value is less than the highest value stored data value.

11. The system of claim 9, the data store component overwrites the stored data values with a lowest value stored data value when the received data value is greater than the lowest value stored data value.

12. The system of claim 8, the data integrity component further comprising:

an incrementing component that increments the received data value before it is stored.

13. The system of claim 8, the data integrity component further comprising:

a decrementing component that decrements the received data value before it is stored.

14. The system of claim 1, the plurality of data locations comprising locations from at least one selected from the group consisting of a location associated with an application, a location associated with an operating system, a location external to a computing device executing a tracked application.

15. The system of claim 14, the location associated with the operating system comprising a system registry.

16. The system of claim 14, the location associated with the application comprising an application'"'"'s user data.

17. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable components of the system of claim 1.

18. A device employing the system of claim 1 comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a computer, a server, and a handheld electronic device.

19. A method for facilitating data integrity comprising:

accessing data values stored in a plurality of data locations via a random data location selection process for a desired data item, the random data location selection process further comprising assigning at least one weight value for at least one of the plurality of data locations;

comparing the data values accessed in the plurality of data locations to determine a correct data value for the desired data item; and

storing the correct data value for the desired data item in the plurality of data locations.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

stamping the data values with a hardware identification (HWID) that provides association of the data values to specific hardware.

21. The method of claim 19, the desired data item comprising a counter value representative of an access count for at least one function of at least one software application.

22. The method of claim 19, the desired data item comprising a date value representative of an initial usage date for at least one function of at least one software application.

23. The method of claim 19, the weight value for each location comprising a substantially similar weight value.

24. The method of claim 19, the correct data value comprising a data value representing at least one selected from the group consisting of a highest data value of the accessed data values and a lowest data value of the accessed data values.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining if the plurality of data locations contain a data value different from the correct data value; and

storing the correct data value in those data locations with the different data value.

26. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a data value for storage;

selecting a plurality of data storage locations;

determining data values stored in the plurality of data storage locations; and

storing the received data value in a data storage location whenever the data value from the data storage location has an optimum value.

27. The method of claim 26, the optimum value comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a value less than the received data value and a value greater than the received data value.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

storing a highest value of the data storage location data values whenever a stored data value is less than the highest value and the received data value is less than the highest value of the data storage location data values.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

storing a lowest value of the data storage location data values whenever a stored data value is greater than the lowest value and the received data value is greater than the lowest value of the data storage location data values.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

incrementing a received data value before it is stored in a data storage location.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

decrementing a received data value before it is stored in a data storage location.

32. A device employing the method of claim 19 comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a computer, a server, and a handheld electronic device.

33. A system that facilitates data integrity, comprising:

means for interfacing with data values in a plurality of locations; and

means for utilizing a plurality of data values from a subset of the plurality of locations via a data location selection process to determine a correct value for a desired data item;

means for rectifying the plurality of data values to the correct value for the desired data item;

means for receiving a data value for storage in at least one of the plurality of locations; and

means for storing the received data value when the received data value is an optimum value compared to data values stored in the plurality of locations.

34. The system of claim 33, the optimum value comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a value less than the data values stored in the plurality of locations and a value greater than the data values stored in the plurality of locations.

35. A data packet, transmitted between two or more computer components, that is employed to rectify a plurality of data values to a correct value for a desired data item, the data packet comprising, at least in part, information relating to a data integrity system that utilizes, at least in part, the plurality of data values from a plurality of data locations via a random data location selection process to determine the correct value for the desired data item the plurality of data locations comprising locations with a statistical weight value for each location that influences the random data location selection process.