Method and system for protecting electronic data in enterprise environment

• US 8,341,407 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Guardian Data Storage LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kinghorn, Gary Mark, Garcia, Denis Jacques Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ABYANEH, ALI S
• Application Number:
  US13/078,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20110296199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 713/166, 713/182, 713/189, 713/160, 726/2, 380/277
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Even with proper access privilege, when a secured file is classified, at least security clearance (e.g. a clearance key) is needed to ensure those who have the right security clearance can ultimately access the contents in the classified secured file. According to one embodiment, referred to as a two-0pronged access scheme, a security clearance key is generated and assigned in accordance with a user'"'"'s security access level. A security clearance key may range from most classified to non-classified. Depending on implementation, a security clearance key with a security level may be so configured that the key can be used to access secured files classified at or lower than the security level or multiple auxiliary keys are provided when a corresponding security clearance key is being requested. The auxiliary keys are those keys generated to facilitate access to secured files classified respectively less than the corresponding security or confidentiality level.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

reading a classification level of a secured file from a header portion of the secured file; and

decrypting, by a computing machine, a file key using a clearance key, in response to a security clearance level of the clearance key being greater than or equal to the classification level of the secured file,

wherein the file key is encrypted in a portion of the secured file, and

wherein at least two user identifiers are assigned a security clearance level corresponding to the security clearance level of the clearance key, the at least two user identifiers are thereby granted access to use the clearance key, and represent members of a group of users assigned to the security clearance level, and access to use the clearance key is granted to members in the group, such that members in the group can access the secured file with the clearance key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the classification level comprises reading the classification level from a set of a plurality of classification levels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two user identifiers are assigned to the security clearance level based on a level of trust of users associated with the at least two user identifiers in an organization.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the level of trust pertains to job responsibility of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers in the organization or a role of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers in a task.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers is a human user, a group of users or a member thereof, a software agent, a device, or an application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two user identifiers is additionally associated with a user key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the header portion of the secured file is encrypted, further comprising decrypting the header portion with the user key after authentication by the at least one of the at least two user identifiers associated with the user key.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein decrypting the header portion of the secured file comprises accessing an encrypted version of the file key.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing or activating the clearance key for a corresponding user identifier of the at least two user identifiers when the corresponding user identifier is accessing the secured file.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, execution of which, by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

reading a classification level of a secured file from a header portion of the secured file; and

decrypting a file key using a clearance key, in response to a security clearance level of the clearance key being greater than or equal to the classification level of the secured file,

wherein the file key is encrypted in a portion of the secured file, and

wherein at least two user identifiers are assigned a security clearance level corresponding to the security clearance level of the clearance key, the at least two user identifiers are thereby granted access to use the clearance key, and represent members of a group of users assigned to the security clearance level, and access to use the clearance key is granted to members in the group, such that members in the group can access the secured file with the clearance key.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein reading the classification level comprises reading the classification level from a set of a plurality of classification levels.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the at least two user identifiers are assigned to the security clearance level based on a level of trust of users associated with the at least two user identifiers in an organization.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the level of trust pertains to job responsibility of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers in the organization or a role of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers in a task.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein at least one of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers is a human user, a group of users or a member thereof, a software agent, a device, or an application.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least two user identifiers is additionally associated with a user key.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the header portion of the secured file is encrypted, further comprising decrypting the header portion with the user key after authentication by the at least one of the at least two user identifiers associated with the user key.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein decrypting the header portion of the secured file comprises accessing an encrypted version of the file key.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

releasing or activating the clearance key for a corresponding user identifier of the at least two user identifiers when the corresponding user identifier is accessing the secured file.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing software modules executed by the one or more processors comprising;

a reading module configured to read a classification level of a secured file from a header portion of the secured file, and

a decrypting module configured to decrypt a file key using a clearance key, in response to a security clearance level of the clearance key being greater than or equal to the classification level of the secured file,

wherein the file key is encrypted in a portion of the secured file, and

wherein at least two user identifiers are assigned a security clearance level corresponding to the security clearance level of the clearance key, the at least two user identifiers are thereby granted access to use the clearance key, and represent members of a group of users assigned to the security clearance level, and access to use the clearance key is granted to members in the group, such that members in the group can access the secured file with the clearance key.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein reading the classification level comprises reading the classification level from a set of a plurality of classification levels.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least two user identifiers are assigned to the security clearance level based on a level of trust of users associated with the at least two user identifiers in an organization.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the level of trust pertains to job responsibility of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers in the organization or a role of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers in a task.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the users associated with the at least two user identifiers is a human user, a group of users or a member thereof, a software agent, a device, or an application.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the at least two user identifiers is additionally associated with a user key.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the header portion of the secured file is encrypted, further comprising decrypting the header portion with the user key after authentication by the at least one of the at least two user identifiers associated with the user key.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein decrypting the header portion of the secured file comprises accessing an encrypted version of the file key.

27. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a releasing or activating module configured to release or activate the clearance key for a corresponding user identifier of the at least two user identifiers when the corresponding user identifier is accessing the secured file.