Cloud key directory for federating data exchanges

• US 9,224,005 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: D'Souza, Roy Peter, Pandey, Omkant
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US14/570,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20150169890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing attribute-based data access. Embodiments include receiving a data request specifying search data attributes describing requested data that is to be found in an anonymous directory. The anonymous directory provides access to secured data of clients according to access controls, including secured data comprising a first portion that is unencrypted and readable by the anonymous directory and a second portion that is encrypted and unreadable by the anonymous directory. The second portion is encrypted using multi-authority attribute-based encryption that associates the second portion with encryption data attributes. The anonymous directory provides the first acid second portions of data f conditions in the access controls are met. The first and second portions of data are provided, based on determining that the conditions in the access controls are met, and that at least one data attribute is relevant to at least one encryption data attribute.

Claims

1. At a computer system including at least one processor and a memory, in a computer networking environment including a plurality of computing systems, a computer-implemented method for providing attribute-based data access, the method comprising:

receiving a data request, the data request specifying one or more search data attributes describing requested data that is to be found in an anonymous directory, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to provide access to secured data of one or more clients according to access controls, the secured data for at least one client including a first portion of data that is unencrypted and readable by the anonymous directory and a second portion of data that is encrypted and unreadable by the anonymous directory, the second portion of data being encrypted using multi-authority attribute-based encryption that associates the second portion of data with one or more encryption data attributes, the anonymous directory being configured to provide the first and second portions of data if conditions in the access controls are met;

determining that the first and second portions of data should be provided based on determining that the conditions in the access controls are met, and that at least one of the search data attributes of the data request is determined to be relevant to at least one of the encryption data attributes; and

providing the first and second portions of data in response to the data request.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to enable discovery of the secured data for at least one client, based on a threshold number of encryption data attributes being requested in the data request.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access controls correspond to each client.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the access controls are defined by the corresponding client.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access controls define which secured data is to be provided in response to data requests, based on one or more of user identity or user type of a requesting user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a client is enabled to dynamically change which of their secured data is provided in response to data requests by changing a corresponding access control.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to enable requests for secured data without a prior knowledge of what secured data is available through the anonymous directory and without a prior knowledge of the one or more clients.

8. A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, the computer-executable instructions configure the computer system to provide attribute-based data access, including computer-executable instructions that configure the computer system to perform at least the following:

receive a data request, the data request specifying one or more search data attributes describing requested data that is to be found in an anonymous directory, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to provide access to secured data of one or more clients according to access controls, the secured data for at least one client including a first portion of data that is unencrypted and readable by the anonymous directory and a second portion of data that is encrypted and unreadable by the anonymous directory, the second portion of data being encrypted using multi-authority attribute-based encryption that associates the second portion of data with one or more encryption data attributes, the anonymous directory being configured to provide the first and second portions of data if conditions in the access controls are met;

determine that the first and second portions of data should be provided based on determining that the conditions in the access controls are met, and that at least one of the search data attributes of the data request is determined to be relevant to at least one of the encryption data attributes; and

provide the first and second portions of data in response to the data request.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to enable discovery of the secured data for at least one client, based on a threshold number of encryption data attributes being requested in the data request.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the access controls correspond to each client.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the access controls are defined by the corresponding client.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the access controls define which secured data is to be provided in response to data requests, based on one or more of user identity or user type of a requesting user.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a client is enabled to dynamically change which of their secured data is provided in response to data requests by changing a corresponding access control.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to enable requests for secured data without a prior knowledge of what secured data is available through the anonymous directory and without a prior knowledge of the one or more clients.

15. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors of the computer system, the computer-executable instructions configure the computer system to provide attribute-based data access, including being configured to perform at least the following;

receive a data request, the data request specifying one or more search data attributes describing requested data that is to be found in an anonymous directory, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to provide access to secured data of one or more clients according to access controls, the secured data for at least one client including a first portion of data that is unencrypted and readable by the anonymous directory and a second portion of data that is encrypted and unreadable by the anonymous directory, the second portion of data being encrypted using multi-authority attribute-based encryption that associates the second portion of data with one or more encryption data attributes, the anonymous directory being configured to provide the first and second portions of data if conditions in the access controls are met;

determine that the first and second portions of data should be provided based on determining that the conditions in the access controls are met, and that at least one of the search data attributes of the data request is determined to be relevant to at least one of the encryption data attributes; and

provide the first and second portions of data in response to the data request.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the anonymous directory is configured to enable discovery of the secured data for at least one client, based on a threshold number of encryption data attributes being requested in the data request.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the access controls correspond to each client.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the access controls are defined by the corresponding client.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the access controls define which secured data is to be provided in response to data requests, based on one or more of user identity or user type of a requesting user.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein a client is enabled to dynamically change which of their secured data is provided in response to data requests by changing a corresponding access control.