Secure distributed data storage

• US 9,374,422 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arash Esmailzadeh
• Original Assignee: Arash Esmailzadeh
• Inventors: Esmailzadeh, Arash
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsons, Theodore C
• Application Number:
  US14/048,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method of securely distributing and storing content may include receiving user content and identifying a number of storage servers that are configured to receive portions of the user content. The method may also include dissecting the user content into content portions for storage in the storage servers. The number of content portions may be selected to be equal to the identified number of storage servers, and the user content may be dissected into the content portions using a randomized dissection pattern. The method may additionally include transmitting each of the plurality of content portions to separate storage servers. Each of the storage servers may be independent from the transmitting computer system and from each other. Each of the storage servers may be operated according to a common protocol, such that each of the storage servers can store any of the content portions.

Claims

1. A method of securely distributing and storing content, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, user content;

identifying, at the computer system, a number of storage servers in a plurality of storage servers that are configured to receive portions of the user content;

dissecting, at the computer system, the user content into a plurality of content portions for storage in the plurality of storage servers, wherein;

the number of content portions in the plurality of content portions is selected to be equal to the identified number of storage servers in the plurality of storage servers; and

the user content is dissected into the plurality of content portions using a randomized dissection pattern; and

transmitting, from the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions to separate ones of the plurality of storage servers, wherein;

each of the plurality of storage servers is independent from the computer system such that the computer system and the plurality of storage servers are not commonly controlled by a same entity;

each of the plurality of storage servers is independent from each of the other storage servers in the plurality of storage servers such that none of the plurality of storage servers are commonly controlled by a same entity; and

each of the plurality of storage servers are operated according to a common protocol, such that each of the plurality of storage servers can store any of the plurality of content portions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the computer system, a request for the user content;

requesting, by the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions from the plurality of storage servers;

receiving, at the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions from the plurality of storage servers; and

reassembling the plurality of content portions to recreate the user content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of storage servers are operated by distinct non-profit organizations that are not privately owned.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user content or the plurality of content portions are encrypted using an encryption key before being transmitted to the plurality of storage servers.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the encryption key is separate and distinct from the user content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user content comprises personal information about a user of the computer system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user content comprises information generated during an online communication session using the computer system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user content comprises information utilized by advertisers in selecting and placing online ads.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, user content;

identifying, at the computer system, a number of storage servers in a plurality of storage servers that are configured to receive portions of the user content;

dissecting, at the computer system, the user content into a plurality of content portions for storage in the plurality of storage servers, wherein;

the number of content portions in the plurality of content portions is selected to be equal to the identified number of storage servers in the plurality of storage servers; and

the user content is dissected into the plurality of content portions using a randomized dissection pattern; and

transmitting, from the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions to separate ones of the plurality of storage servers, wherein;

each of the plurality of storage servers is independent from the computer system such that the computer system and the plurality of storage servers are not commonly controlled by a same entity;

each of the plurality of storage servers is independent from each of the other storage servers in the plurality of storage servers such that none of the plurality of storage servers are commonly controlled by a same entity; and

each of the plurality of storage servers are operated according to a common protocol, such that each of the plurality of storage servers can store any of the plurality of content portions.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising additional instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform additional operations comprising:

receiving, at the computer system, a request for the user content;

requesting, by the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions from the plurality of storage servers;

receiving, at the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions from the plurality of storage servers; and

reassembling the plurality of content portions to recreate the user content.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of storage servers are operated by distinct non-profit organizations that are not privately owned.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the computer system deletes the user content after it is transmitted to the separate ones of the plurality of storage servers.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising additional instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform additional operations comprising generating or receiving a digital key that protects access to the user content, wherein the digital key is separate and distinct from the user content.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising additional instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform additional operations comprising:

dissecting, at the computer system, the digital key into a plurality of key portions;

transmitting, from the computer system, each of the plurality of key portions to separate servers for storage.

15. A computer system comprising:

one or more processers; and

one or more memory devices comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a computer system, user content;

identifying, at the computer system, a number of storage servers in a plurality of storage servers that are configured to receive portions of the user content;

dissecting, at the computer system, the user content into a plurality of content portions for storage in the plurality of storage servers, wherein;

the number of content portions in the plurality of content portions is selected to be equal to the identified number of storage servers in the plurality of storage servers; and

the user content is dissected into the plurality of content portions using a randomized dissection pattern; and

transmitting, from the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions to separate ones of the plurality of storage servers, wherein;

each of the plurality of storage servers is independent from the computer system such that the computer system and the plurality of storage servers are not commonly controlled by a same entity;

each of the plurality of storage servers is independent from each of the other storage servers in the plurality of storage servers such that none of the plurality of storage servers are commonly controlled by a same entity; and

each of the plurality of storage servers are operated according to a common protocol, such that each of the plurality of storage servers can store any of the plurality of content portions.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the one or more memory devices further comprise additional instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform additional operations comprising:

receiving, at the computer system, a request for the user content;

requesting, by the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions from the plurality of storage servers;

receiving, at the computer system, each of the plurality of content portions from the plurality of storage servers; and

reassembling the plurality of content portions to recreate the user content.

17. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the computer system comprises a user device.

18. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the user content is dissected by:

dividing the user content into a plurality of contiguous content segments;

assigning the plurality of contiguous content segments to the plurality of content portions such that none of the plurality of content portions include content segments that are contiguous to each other.

19. The computer system of claim 18 wherein

the content segments are assigned to the plurality of content portions according to regularly spaced intervals.

20. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the user content comprises one or more selections from a group consisting of:

a user'"'"'s location, the user'"'"'s address, the user'"'"'s financial data, and the user'"'"'s employment data.