Selective encryption within documents

• US 8,683,223 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Forlenza, Randolph M., Berstis, Viktors
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/677,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for selective encryption within a document. A portion of the document selected and marked for encryption is detected, the selected portion of the document including plaintext. The detected portion of the document selected for encryption is encrypted as ciphertext. The encrypted portion of the document is decrypted with a proper decryption key, wherein the decrypting includes decrypting the encrypted portion of the document in response to presentation of required data by the accessor. The required data includes the proper decryption key, a name of the accessor, and an employee number of the accessor. The portion of the document is displayed as decrypted.

Claims

1. A method for selective encryption within a document, said method implemented by a system comprising a processor, said method comprising:

said processor detecting a portion of the document selected and marked for encryption, said selected portion of the document consisting of plaintext;

said processor encrypting the detected portion of the document selected for encryption as ciphertext; and

said processor decrypting the encrypted portion of the document with a proper decryption key, wherein said decrypting comprises decrypting the encrypted portion of the document in response to presentation of required data by an accessor attempting to access the encrypted portion of the document, and wherein the required data comprises the proper decryption key, a name of the accessor, and an employee number of the accessor; and

said processor displaying the portion of the document as decrypted.

2. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising after said displaying the portion of the document as decrypted:

said processor detecting an attempt to access another encrypted portion of the document via a decryption attempt; and

said processor determining whether the proper decryption keys for said decryption attempt have been presented.

3. The method of claim 2, said method further comprising:

in response to said processor determining that the proper decryption keys for said decryption attempt have not been presented, said processor rejecting the access attempt by substituting a graphic in the another encrypted portion of the document to indicate that said decryption attempt has failed.

4. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

said processor displaying the document with the selected portion of the document encrypted.

5. The method of claim 4, said method further comprising:

after said displaying the document, said processor transmitting the document across a computing network to an identified destination.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said displaying the document comprises displaying the document with the selected portion of the document being displayed as said plaintext of the selected portion with diagonal red lines drawn under the plaintext.

7. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

said processor displaying the document with the selected portion being displayed as said ciphertext or as said plaintext with diagonal red lines drawn under the plaintext, in response to determining that the accessor is not authorized to access the encrypted portion of the document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said encrypting is performed in response to said processor receiving a selection of an Encrypt icon from a pop-up menu that consists of said Encrypt icon, a File icon, an Edit icon, a View icon, a Tools icon, and a Help icon.

9. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

said processor determining that the accessor is authorized to access the encrypted portion of the document.

10. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

said processor displaying the document with any previously encrypted portions of the document decrypted in response to determining that the accessor is authorized to access the encrypted portion of the document.

11. The method of claim 1, said method further comprising:

said processor extracting the encrypted portion of the document and storing the extracted portion of the document in an appendix location in the document.

12. The method of claim 11, said method further comprising:

said processor filling the appendix location of the stored extracted portion of the document with random letters.

13. A system comprising a processor, a memory device, and a computer readable storage device, said storage device containing instructions configured to be executed by the processor via the memory device to implement a method for selective encryption within a document, said method comprising:

said processor detecting a portion of the document selected and marked for encryption, said selected portion of the document consisting of plaintext;

said processor encrypting the detected portion of the document selected for encryption as ciphertext; and

said processor decrypting the encrypted portion of the document with a proper decryption key, wherein said decrypting comprises decrypting the encrypted portion of the document in response to presentation of required data by an accessor attempting to access the encrypted portion of the document, and wherein the required data comprises the proper decryption key, a name of the accessor, and an employee number of the accessor; and

said processor displaying the portion of the document as decrypted.

14. The system of claim 13, said method further comprising after said displaying the portion of the document as decrypted:

said processor detecting an attempt to access another encrypted portion of the document via a decryption attempt; and

said processor determining whether the proper decryption keys for said decryption attempt have been presented.

15. The system of claim 14, said method further comprising:

in response to said processor determining that the proper decryption keys for said decryption attempt have not been presented, said processor rejecting the access attempt by substituting a graphic in the another encrypted portion of the document to indicate that said decryption attempt has failed.

16. The system of claim 13, said method further comprising:

said processor displaying the document with the selected portion of the document encrypted.

17. A computer program product, comprising a storage device having a computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for selective encryption within a document, said method comprising:

said processor detecting a portion of the document selected and marked for encryption, said selected portion of the document consisting of plaintext;

said processor encrypting the detected portion of the document selected for encryption as ciphertext; and

said processor decrypting the encrypted portion of the document with a proper decryption key, wherein said decrypting comprises decrypting the encrypted portion of the document in response to presentation of required data by an accessor attempting to access the encrypted portion of the document, and wherein the required data comprises the proper decryption key, a name of the accessor, and an employee number of the accessor; and

said processor displaying the portion of the document as decrypted.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, said method further comprising after said displaying the portion of the document as decrypted:

said processor detecting an attempt to access another encrypted portion of the document via a decryption attempt; and

said processor determining whether the proper decryption keys for said decryption attempt have been presented.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, said method further comprising:

in response to said processor determining that the proper decryption keys for said decryption attempt have not been presented, said processor rejecting the access attempt by substituting a graphic in the another encrypted portion of the document to indicate that said decryption attempt has failed.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, said method further comprising:

said processor displaying the document with the selected portion of the document encrypted.