Managing access to a secure content-part of a PPCD following introduction of the PPCD into a workflow

• US 8,601,276 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Simske, Steven J., Balinsky, Helen
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US13/192,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 713168-174, 713182-186, 713/202, 709/225, 709/229, 726 2- 6
• US Class Current: 713/180
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

In a method for managing access to a secure content-part of a PPCD following introduction of the PPCD into a workflow among a plurality of workflow participants, in a secure content manager, from a workflow participant of the plurality of workflow participants, a key-map file for a subsequent workflow participant that is to receive the key-map file is received, wherein the key-map file comprises a set of keys to enable the subsequent workflow participant to access the content-part in the PPCD. In addition, authenticity of the received key-map file is verified, the subsequent workflow participant to receive the PPCD is identified and authenticated, a public key of the subsequent workflow participant is accessed, the key map file or a symmetric key used to encrypt the key-map file prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager is encrypted using the public key of the subsequent workflow participant, and the encrypted key-map file is sent to the subsequent workflow participant.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to a secure content-part of a publicly posted composite document (PPCD) following introduction of the PPCD into a workflow among a plurality of workflow participants, said method comprising:

in a secure content manager,

receiving, from a workflow participant of the plurality of workflow participants, a key-map file for a subsequent workflow participant that is to receive the key-map file, wherein the key-map file comprises a set of keys to enable the subsequent workflow participant to access the content-part in the PPCD;

verifying authenticity of the received key-map file;

identifying and authenticating the subsequent workflow participant to receive the PPCD;

accessing a public key of the subsequent workflow participant; and

encrypting, using the public key of the subsequent workflow participant, by a processor, the key map file or a symmetric key used to encrypt the key-map file prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager; and

sending the encrypted key-map file to the subsequent workflow participant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the key-map file has been encrypted using a public key of the secure content manager prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager, said method further comprising:

decrypting the encrypted key-map file using a private key of the secure content manager following verification of the authenticity of the key-map file.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the key-map file for the subsequent workflow participant has been encrypted using the symmetric key and wherein the symmetric key has been encrypted using a public key of the secure content manager prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager, said method further comprising:

decrypting the encrypted symmetric key using a private key of the secure content manager;

wherein accessing the public key of the subsequent workflow participant further comprises establishing a valid and trusted public key for the subsequent participant in response to the subsequent participant being authenticated; and

wherein encrypting the symmetric key or the key-map file further comprises re-encrypting the symmetric key using the valid and trusted public key of the subsequent workflow participant.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the encrypted symmetric key is stored in an entry table, said method further comprising:

storing the re-encrypted symmetric key in the entrytable.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

signing the encrypted symmetric key or the key-map file using a private signature key of the secure content manager.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the key-map file further comprises receiving the key-map file through a web upload by the workflow participant.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a prior key-map file for the workflow participant from which the key-map file for the subsequent workflow participant was received, and wherein the prior key-map file comprises an instruction for the workflow participant to send the key-map file for the subsequent workflow participant to the secure content manager as part of the workflow.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the PPCD with the key-map file;

incorporating the encrypted symmetric key or the encrypted key-map file into the PPCD; and

sending the PPCD and the encrypted symmetric key or the encrypted key-map file to the subsequent workflow participant.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

at least one of;

storing a copy of the PPCD prior to sending the PPCD to the subsequent workflow participant;

timestamping the PPCD prior to sending the PPCD to the subsequent workflow participant; and

implementing the secure content manager autonomously in response to receipt of the key-map file from the workflow participant.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the PPCD comprises a part that is exclusively accessible by the secure content manager, wherein the part contains security compliance rules, said method further comprising:

accessing the part; and

comparing the security compliance rules with other information contained in the PPCD to check for compliance with the security compliance rules.

11. A secure content manager for managing access to a secure content-part of a publicly posted composite document (PPCD) following introduction of the PPCD into a workflow among a plurality of workflow participants, said apparatus comprising:

at least one module to receive, from a workflow participant of the plurality of workflow participants, an encrypted key-map file for a subsequent workflow participant that is to receive the encrypted key-map file, wherein the encrypted key-map file comprises a set of keys to enable the subsequent workflow participant to access the content-part in the PPCD, to verify authenticity of the received encrypted key-map file, to identify and authenticate the subsequent workflow participant, to decrypt the encrypted key-map file or an encrypted symmetric key used to encrypt the key-map file in response to the authenticity of the encrypted key-map file being verified, to access a public key of the subsequent workflow participant, to re-encrypt, using the public key of the subsequent workflow participant, the key-map file or the symmetric key used to encrypt the key-map file prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager, and to send the re-encrypted key-map file to the subsequent workflow participant; and

a processor to implement the at least one module.

12. The secure content manager according to claim 11, wherein the key-map file has been encrypted using a public key of the secure content manager prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager, and wherein said at least one module is further to decrypt the encrypted key-map file using a private key of the secure content manager following verification of the authenticity of the key-map file.

13. The secure content manager according to claim 11, wherein the encrypted key-map file for the subsequent workflow participant has been encrypted using the symmetric key and wherein the symmetric key has been encrypted using a public key of the secure content manager prior to receipt of the key-map file by the secure content manager, and wherein the at least one module is further to decrypt the encrypted symmetric key using a private key of the secure content manager, to establish a valid and trusted public key for the subsequent participant in response to the subsequent participant being authenticated, and to re-encrypt the symmetric key using the valid and trusted public key of the subsequent workflow participant.

14. The secure content manager according to claim 11, wherein the at least one module is further to receive the PPCD with the key-map file and to at least one of:

store a copy of the PPCD prior to sending the PPCD to the subsequent workflow participant;

timestamp the PPCD prior to sending the PPCD to the subsequent workflow participant;

implement the secure content manager autonomously in response to receipt of the key-map file from the workflow participant; and

check for compliance with security compliance rules.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is embedded a computer program, said computer program implementing a method for managing access to a secure content-part of a publicly posted composite document (PPCD) following introduction of the PPCD into a workflow among a plurality of workflow participants, said computer program comprising a set of instructions to:

receive, in a secure content manager, from a workflow participant of the plurality of workflow participants, an encrypted key-map file for a subsequent workflow participant that is to receive the key-map file, wherein the key-map file comprises a set of keys to enable the subsequent workflow participant to access the content-part in the PPCD;

verify authenticity of the received key-map file;

decrypt one of the encrypted key-map and an encrypted symmetric key used to encrypt the key-map file using a public key of the secure content manager;

identify and authenticate the subsequent workflow participant to receive the PPCD;

establish a valid and trusted public key for the subsequent workflow participant in response to the subsequent workflow participant being authenticated;

re-encrypt, using the valid and trusted public key of the subsequent workflow participant, the key-map file and a symmetric key used to encrypt the key-map file; and

send the re-encrypted key-map file to the subsequent workflow participant.