Secure data parser method and system

• US 9,294,445 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• 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): LEMMA, SAMSON B
• Application Number:
  US13/468,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 713/167, 713/193, 726/28, 726 5- 7, 380/28, 380277-278
• 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 of managing data in a secure storage appliance, the method comprising:

receiving, using a programmed hardware processor, data associated with a virtual disk, the virtual disk comprising a directory mapped to a plurality of physical storage devices such that physical locations of a plurality of shares are hidden from a client device;

storing the data in a buffer associated with a state of the data;

processing the data by performing at least one cryptographic operation on the data; and

upon completion of processing the data, updating the state of the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the data includes generating a plurality of secondary data blocks from the data by performing a cryptographic operation on the data and distributing the data into the plurality of secondary data blocks.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of secondary data blocks contain a substantially random distribution of the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the data includes reconstituting a data set from the plurality of shares, the plurality of shares including the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data includes receiving the data from a client device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising establishing a secure connection between the client device and the secure storage appliance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the data includes reconstituting a data set from a plurality of secondary data blocks stored in the plurality of shares, the plurality of shares including the data.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer associated with a state of the data comprises one of an assembled data buffer or a split shares buffer.

8. A secure storage appliance comprising:

a plurality of buffers, each buffer capable of holding data having a state selected from among a plurality of states;

a programmable circuit capable of accessing the plurality of buffers, the programmable circuit configured to execute program instructions to;

receive the data, wherein the data is associated with a virtual disk, the virtual disk comprising a directory mapped to a plurality of physical storage devices such that physical locations of a plurality of shares are hidden from a client device;

store the data in a buffer from among the plurality of buffers associated with a state of the data;

process the data by performing at least one cryptographic operation on the data; and

update the state of the data upon completion of processing the data.

9. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to process the data by generating a plurality of secondary data blocks from the data by performing a cryptographic operation on the data and distributing the data into the plurality of secondary data blocks.

10. The secure storage appliance of claim 9, wherein the plurality of secondary data blocks contain a substantially random distribution of the data.

11. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute a data set from the plurality of shares, the plurality of shares including the data.

12. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the data is received from the client device.

13. The secure storage appliance of claim 12, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to establish a secure connection between the client device and the secure storage appliance.

14. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute a data set from a plurality of secondary data blocks stored in the plurality of shares, the plurality of shares including the data.

22. The secure storage appliance of claim 8, wherein the plurality of buffers comprises at least one of an assembled data buffer or a split shares buffer.

15. A secure storage network comprising:

a client device;

a plurality of physical storage devices; and

a secure storage appliance comprising;

a plurality of buffers, each buffer capable of holding data having a state selected from among a plurality of states;

a programmable circuit capable of accessing the plurality of buffers, the programmable circuit configured to execute program instructions to;

receive the data, wherein the data is associated with a virtual disk, the virtual disk comprising a directory mapped to a plurality of physical storage devices such that physical locations of a plurality of shares are hidden from the client device;

store the data in a buffer from among the plurality of buffers associated with the state of the data;

process the data by performing at least one cryptographic operation on the data; and

update the state of the data upon completion of processing the data.

16. The secure storage network of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is configured to process the data by generating a plurality of secondary data blocks from the data by performing a cryptographic operation on the data and distributing the data into the plurality of secondary data blocks.

17. The secure storage network of claim 16, wherein the plurality of secondary data blocks contain a substantially random distribution of the data.

18. The secure storage network of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute a data set from the plurality of shares, the plurality of shares including the data.

19. The secure storage appliance of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to establish a secure connection between the client device and the secure storage appliance.

20. The secure storage appliance of claim 15, wherein the programmable circuit is further configured to execute program instructions to reconstitute a data set from a plurality of secondary data blocks stored in the plurality of shares, the plurality of shares including the data.

23. The secure storage network of claim 15, wherein the plurality of buffers comprises at least one of an assembled data buffer or a split shares buffer.