Encryption Method and System

• US 20140325215A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greg J. Wright
• Original Assignee: Greg J. Wright
• Inventors: Wright, Greg J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,836,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/588 Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/12 Details relating to cryptographic hardware or logic circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/001 using chaotic signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0869 involving random numbers or seeds

Abstract

Methods and systems for encrypting data are disclosed. A circuit uses a white noise generator to capture a random string of bits as an encryption key. The encryption key is generated at a central server and is provided to a subscriber on a physical memory device. The subscriber uses the encryption key to encrypt a source data file. The encrypted data file is sent to the central server, which uses the encryption key to decrypt the encrypted data file and to recover the source data file. The file name for the source data file may be encrypted into the encrypted data file and a new name assigned to the encrypted data file. A random number index may be used to identify the starting point of the encrypted file.

Claims

1. A circuit for generating a random bit string, comprising:

a white noise source;

an analog circuit having an input coupled to an output of the white noise source, the analog circuit having an output that varies between a high value and a low value based upon a signal from the white noise source; and

a digital circuit coupled to the output of the analog circuit, the digital circuit sampling the output of the analog circuit to generate the random bit string.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the white noise source further comprises:

one or more low noise amplifiers coupled to a reverse-biased Zener diode.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the analog circuit further comprises:

as comparator circuit that compares the output of the white noise source to a filtered version of the output of the white noise source to generate the analog circuit output that varies between the high value and the low value.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the high value is 5 volts, and the low value is 0 volts.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the digital circuit further comprises:

a clock providing a clock signal;

a data latch driven by the clock signal to sample the output of the analog circuit as a binary 1 value or a binary 0 value; and

an interface circuit driven by the clock signal to receive data samples from the data latch, the interface circuit creating the random bit string from the data samples.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the digital circuit further comprises:

an interface circuit configured to be coupled to a memory device, the interface circuit further configured to transfer the random bit string to the memory device.

7. A method for encrypting data files using a random bit string encryption key, comprising:

connecting a memory device to a host device, the memory device storing the encryption key and a first verification code;

receiving a second verification code from a remote device;

accessing the encryption key only if the first verification code matches the second verification code;

encrypting a data file stored on an external memory device using the encryption key; and

sending the encrypted file to the remote device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the random bit string encryption key is generated at the remote device using a white noise source.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

disconnecting the host device from external network connections prior to connecting the encryption key memory device;

removing the encryption key memory device and the external memory device storing the data file from the host computer after encrypting the data file; and

reconnecting an external network connection after removing the encryption key memory device and the external memory device storing the source data file.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing the data file from the host device to a processor on the memory device; and

encrypting the data file on the memory device using the encryption key stored on the memory device; and

returning the encrypted data file to the host device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

encrypting a file name of the data file as part of the encrypted data file as well as a random index into the encrypted data file; and

assigning a new file name to the encrypted data file.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

deleting the encrypted data file from the host device.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the encrypted data file at the remote device;

decrypting the encrypted data file using the encryption key and the embedded index;

re-encrypting the data file using a second encryption key; and

forwarding the re-encrypted data file to a second host device.

14. A method for decrypting data files using a random bit string encryption key, comprising:

receiving an encrypted data file at a host device;

connecting a memory device to the host device, the memory device storing the encryption key and a first verification code;

receiving a second verification code from a remote device;

accessing the encryption key only if the first verification code matches the second verification code; and

decrypting the encrypted data file using the encryption key and an embedded index.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the random bit string encryption key is generated at the remote device using a white noise source.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

disconnecting the host device from external network connections prior to connecting the encryption key memory device;

storing the decrypted data file to a memory external to the host device;

disconnecting the external memory from the host computer after storing the data file on the external memory;

removing the encryption key memory device from the host computer after decrypting the data file; and

reconnecting an external network connection after removing the memory device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the encrypted data file from the host device to a processor on the encryption key memory device; and

decrypting the data file on the memory device using the encryption key stored on the memory device; and

returning the decrypted data file to the host device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

decrypting a file name from the encrypted data file; and

assigning the file name to the decrypted data file.