Systems and methods for cryptographically splitting and storing data

• US 9,294,444 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Security First Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Security First Corp
• Inventors: O'Hare, Mark S., Orsini, Rick L., Davenport, Roger S., Winick, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Tae
• Application Number:
  US13/371,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• 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: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• 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 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A secure data parser is provided that may be integrated into any suitable system for securely storing and communicating data. The secure data parser parses data and then splits the data into multiple portions that are stored or communicated distinctly. Encryption of the original data, the portions of data, or both may be employed for additional security. The secure data parser may be used to protect data in motion by splitting original data into portions of data, that may be communicated using multiple communications paths.

Claims

1. A method for securing a data set, the method steps implemented by a programmed computer system, the method steps comprising:

encrypting, using a hardware processor, the data set based on an encryption key to produce an encrypted data set;

creating hash information based on a hash operation using the data set;

generating data splitting information, wherein the data splitting information is usable to determine into which of a plurality of shares of data a unit of data of the encrypted data set will be placed;

separating the encrypted data set into the plurality of shares based on the data splitting information, wherein each share contains one or more, but not all, of the units of data of the encrypted data set, and wherein at least two of the plurality of shares contain different amounts of the encrypted data set;

including in the plurality of shares data indicative of the encryption key and the hash information; and

causing the plurality of shares to be stored in separate storage locations;

wherein the data set is restorable by accessing less than all, but at least a threshold number of, the plurality of shares.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data set comprises using a deterministic technique.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data set comprises using a substantially random technique.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a plurality of data units in each of the shares to be rearranged relative to one another after the separating step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data into the plurality of shares comprises causing the plurality of shares to have a substantially randomly distribution of the encrypted data set.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the encryption key comprises data created using a Shamir secret sharing algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of including data indicative of the encryption key comprises:

encrypting the encryption key with a second key; and

including in the plurality of shares data indicative of the encrypted encryption key.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the method step of storing the second key outside of the plurality of shares, wherein the data set is restorable by accessing less than all, but at least a threshold number of, the plurality of shares, and the second key.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the separate storage locations are located on at least two separate storage devices.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the separate storage locations are located on one storage device.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the separate storage locations are geographically separated.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the plurality of shares to be stored in separate storage locations comprises causing the plurality of shares to be stored in respective separate storage locations.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to carry out a method for securing a data set, the method comprising the steps of:

encrypting the data set based on an encryption key to produce an encrypted data set;

creating hash information based on a hash operation using the data set;

generating data splitting information, wherein the data splitting information is usable to determine into which of a plurality of shares of data a unit of data of the encrypted data set will be placed;

separating the encrypted data set into the plurality of shares based on the data splitting information, wherein each share contains one or more, but not all, of the units of data of the encrypted data set, and wherein at least two of the plurality of shares contain different amounts of the encrypted data set;

including in the plurality of shares data indicative of the encryption key and the hash information; and

causing the plurality of shares to be stored in separate storage locations;

wherein the data set is restorable by accessing less than all, but at least a threshold number of, the plurality of shares.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data set comprises using a deterministic technique.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data set comprises using a substantially random technique.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises causing a plurality of data units of the encrypted data set to be rearranged relative to one another after the separating step.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data into the plurality of shares comprises causing the plurality of shares to have a substantially randomly distribution of the encrypted data set.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the data indicative of the encryption key comprises data created using a Shamir secret sharing algorithm.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of including data indicative of the encryption key comprises:

encrypting the encryption key with a second key; and

including in the plurality of shares data indicative of the encrypted encryption key.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises storing the second key outside of the plurality of shares, wherein the data set is restorable by accessing less than all, but at least a threshold number of, the plurality of shares, and the second key.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the separate storage locations are located on at least two separate storage devices.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the separate storage locations are located on one storage device.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the separate storage locations are geographically separated.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein causing the plurality of shares to be stored in separate storage locations comprises causing the plurality of shares to be stored in respective separate storage locations.

19. A computer system for securing a data set, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to carry out the following steps;

encrypting the data set based on an encryption key to produce an encrypted data set;

creating hash information based on a hash operation using the data set;

generating data splitting information, wherein the data splitting information is usable to determine into which of a plurality of shares of data a unit of data of the encrypted data set will be placed;

separating the encrypted data set into the plurality of shares based on the data splitting information, wherein each share contains one or more, but not all, of the units of data of the encrypted data set, and wherein at least two of the plurality of shares contain different amounts of the encrypted data set;

including in the plurality of shares data indicative of the encryption key and the hash information; and

causing the plurality of shares to be stored in separate storage locations;

wherein the data set is restorable by accessing less than all, but at least a threshold number of, the plurality of shares.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data set comprises using a deterministic technique.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data set comprises using a substantially random technique.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises causing a plurality of data units of the encrypted data set to be rearranged relative to one another after the separating step.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the step of separating the encrypted data into the plurality of shares comprises causing the plurality of shares to have a substantially randomly distribution of the encrypted data set.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein data indicative of the encryption key comprises data that was created using a Shamir secret sharing algorithm.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the step of including data indicative of the encryption key comprises:

encrypting the encryption key with a second key; and

including in the plurality of shares data indicative of the encrypted encryption key.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the method further comprises storing the second key outside of the plurality of shares, wherein the data set is restorable by accessing less than all, but at least a threshold number of, the plurality of shares, and the second key.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the separate storage locations are located on at least two separate storage devices.

34. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the separate storage locations are located on one storage device.

35. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the separate storage locations are geographically separated.

36. The computer system of claim 19, wherein causing the plurality of shares to be stored in separate storage locations comprises causing the plurality of shares to be stored in respective separate storage locations.