Methods for conducting server-side encryption/decryption-on-demand

• US 7,519,810 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Original Assignee: Educational Testing Service
• Inventors: Chang, Ker-Ming, Blew, Edwin O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyszynski; Aubrey H
• Application Number:
  US11/617,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713/160
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06

Abstract

A method and system for encryption and decryption of data files on a web-based computer system includes encrypting the data file in a memory subsystem, such as RAM, storing the encrypted data file in one or more of a plurality of memory locations, analyzing and modifying the encrypted data file, retrieving and decrypting the modified data file, and displaying the decrypted data file on a web browser. The computer system may include one to three servers. The data file may be encrypted and decrypted using any dual-key encryption algorithm, such as PGP, or a single key algorithm. Data transmitted into and out of the computer system may be via an SSL/HTTPS protocol to provide additional security.

Claims

1. A method for securely storing an electronic data file comprising:

transmitting an electronic data file from a user device to a first computer system, wherein the first computer system comprises a memory subsystem;

encrypting the data file in the memory subsystem;

transmitting the encrypted data file to a second computer system having a plurality of memory locations;

retrieving the encrypted data file from the one or more memory locations;

transmitting the encrypted data file to a third computer system;

decrypting the encrypted data file on the third computer system;

modifying the decrypted data file on the third computer system;

re-encrypting the modified, decrypted data file on the third computer system;

transmitting the re-encrypted data file to the second computer system; and

storing the re-encrypted data file in one or more of the memory locations,

wherein encrypting and re-encrypting the data file occur without assistance from a user and without requiring the user'"'"'s knowledge of an algorithm used to encrypt the data file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the re-encrypted data file from the one or more memory locations;

decrypting the data file; and

providing the user access to the data file, wherein the decrypting occurs without assistance from the user and without requiring the user'"'"'s knowledge of the algorithm used to encrypt the data file.

3. A system for transferring an electronic data file, comprising:

a first computer system for encrypting a data file and decrypting an encrypted data file, the first computer system having a memory subsystem;

a second computer system in communication with the first computer system, the second computer system having a plurality of memory locations configured to store the encrypted data files; and

a third computer system in communication with the second computer system,

wherein the first computer system is configured to;

receive the data file from a user device;

encrypt the data file in the memory subsystem without interaction from a user and without requiring the user'"'"'s knowledge of an algorithm used to encrypt the data file; and

transmit the encrypted data file to the second computer system,

wherein the second computer system is configured to;

receive the encrypted data file from the first computer system;

store the encrypted data file in one or more memory locations;

retrieve the encrypted data file from the one or more memory locations;

transmit the encrypted data file to the third computer system;

receive a re-encrypted data file from the third computer system; and

store the re-encrypted data file in the one or more memory locations, and

wherein the third computer system is configured to;

receive the encrypted data file from the second computer;

decrypt the encrypted data file;

modify the decrypted data file;

re-encrypt the modified, decrypted data file; and

transmit the re-encrypted data file to the second computer.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second computer system is further configured to:

retrieve the re-encrypted data file from the one or more memory locations; and

transmit the re-encrypted data file to the first computer.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the first computer system is further configured to:

receive the re-encrypted data file from the second computer;

decrypt the re-encrypted data file in the memory subsystem; and

display the decrypted data file,

wherein decrypting the re-encrypted data file occurs without interaction with a user and without requiring the user'"'"'s knowledge of the algorithm used to decrypt the re-encrypted data file by the user.

6. A method for securely accessing an electronic data file comprising:

retrieving, from a first computer system comprising a plurality of memory locations, an encrypted data file from one or more of the memory locations;

transmitting the encrypted data file to a second computer system comprising a memory subsystem;

transmitting the encrypted data file to a third computer system;

decrypting the encrypted data file on the third computer system;

modifying the data file on the third computer system;

re-encrypting the modified data file on the third computer system;

transmitting the re-encrypted data file to the first computer system;

storing the re-encrypted data file in the one or more memory locations;

decrypting the re-encrypted data file in the memory subsystem; and

displaying the decrypted data file,

wherein decrypting the encrypted data file occurs without assistance from a user and without requiring the user'"'"'s knowledge of an algorithm used to encrypt the data file.

7. A system for securely storing electronic data files comprising:

means for receiving a data file from a user device on a first computer;

means for encrypting the data file;

means for storing the encrypted data file on a second computer;

means for retrieving the stored data file;

means for decrypting and modifying the retrieved data file on a third computer;

means for re-encrypting the modified data file on the third computer;

means for storing the re-encrypted modified data file;

means for decrypting the re-encrypted data file; and

means for displaying the decrypted data file.