Maidsafe.net

Abstract

This invention is a network that is defined by its novel approach to privacy, security and freedom for its users. Privacy by allowing access anonymously, security by encrypting and obfuscating resources and freedom by allowing users to anonymously and irrefutably be seen as genuine individuals on the network and to communicate with other users with total security and to securely access resources that are both their own and those that are shared by others with them. Further, this invention comprises a system of self healing data, secure messaging and a voting system to allow users to dictate the direction of development of the network, whereby adoption or denial of proposed add-ons to the network will be decided. System incompatibilities and security breaches on networks and the Internet are addressed by this invention where disparity and tangents of development have had an undue influence. The functional mechanisms that this invention provides will restore open communications and worry-free access in a manner that is very difficult to infect with viruses or cripple through denial of service attacks and spam messaging, plus, it will provide a foundation where vendor lock-in need not be an issue.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of International Application PCT / GB2007 / 004421 with an International Filing Date of Nov. 21, 2007, and claiming priority to co-pending Great Britain Patent Application No. 0624053.5 filed on Dec. 1, 2006 and co-pending Great Britain Patent Application No. 0709759.5 filed May 22, 2007, all of which are relied on and incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT OF INVENTION[0002]An issue with today's networks is a combination of vendor lock in, imposed vendor based controls and lack of standards. The present 3 invention allows users to take charge of a new global network in a 4 manner that will maintain effectiveness and promote the setting and 5 attaining of common goals.[0003]Another issue with today's networks is the security and privacy of data, 7 this invention allows a secure private and free network where users can 8 enjoy an efficiently managed working environment that presents a 9 guaranteed level o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0002]An issue with today's networks is a combination of vendor lock in, imposed vendor based controls and lack of standards. The present 3 invention allows users to take charge of a new global network in a 4 manner that will maintain effectiveness and promote the setting and 5 attaining of common goals.

Problems solved by technology

An issue with today's networks is a combination of vendor lock in, imposed vendor based controls and lack of standards.

Also today, many computer resources are underutilised to a great 1 degree, including disk space, memory, processing power and any other 2 attached resources, this is inefficient and environmentally detrimental.

Systems of messaging and voting exist today but do not allow either authentication on what was voted for or on line anonymity.

There have been some attempts as listed below, but none of these systems operate as maidsafe.net does.

All of these systems require a lost or (whether distributed or not) record of authorised users and pass phrases or certificates and therefore do not represent prior art.

In this approach, the rerouting algorithm and the establishing of alarm collection times become increasingly complex as the number of failed channels increases, and a substantial amount of time will be taken to collect alarm signals and to transfer rerouting information should a large number of channels of a multiplexed transmission system fail.

One shortcoming of this multiple wave approach is that it takes a long recovery time.

Document 3 also relates to fault recovery for single transmission systems and has a disadvantage in that route-finding packets tend to form a loop and hence a delay is likely to be encountered.

It also does not allow for multiple access and sharing of the testing and ownership of chunks.

This is not prior art for this present inventions but very likely not enforceable as there are many cases of prior art against this Microsoft patent.

(a) US2003053053625 discloser shows limitation of asymmetrical and symmetrical encryption algorithms, and particularly not requiring generating a key stream from symmetric keys, nor requiring any time synchronising, with minimal computational complexity and capable of operated at high speed.

A significant difference between this approach and prior cipher method is that the session key is used to derive processing parameters (tables and delays) of the encryptor and decryptor in advance of data transmission.

Network firewalls are typically based on packet filtering which is limited in principle, since the rules that judge which packets to accept or reject are based on subjective decisions.

Even VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and other forms of data encryption, including digital signatures, are not really safe because the information can be stolen before the encryption process, as default programs are allowed to do whatever they like to other programs or to their data files or to critical files of the operating system.

While such a system works well for smaller networks, there is a potential bottleneck at the interface between the LAN and the file storage system.

While the storage area networks are generally more flexible and scalable in terms of providing end user connectivity to different server-storage environments, the systems are also more complex.

The systems require hardware, such as gateways, routers, switches, and are thus costly in terms of hardware and associated software acquisition.

The Byzantine agreements require rather lengthy exchanges of messages and thus are inefficient and even impractical for use in a system in which many modifications to files are anticipated.

The difference here is the requirement of a storage broker, making this not fully distributed.

Common email communications of sensitive information is in plain text and is subject to being read by unauthorized code on the senders system, during transit and by unauthorized code on the receiver's system.

(a) US2003053053625 discloses limitation of asymmetrical and symmetrical encryption algorithms, and particularly not requiring generation of a key stream from symmetric keys, nor requiring any time synchronizing, with minimal computational complexity and capable of operating at high speed. A serial data stream to be securely transmitted is first demultiplexed into a plurality N of encryptor input data stream. The input data slices are created which have a cascade of stages, include mapping & delay functions to generate output slices. These are transmitted though a transmission channel. Decryptor applies inverse step of cascade of stages, equalizing delay function and mapping to generate output data slices. The output data streams are multiplexed. The encryptor and decryptor require no synchronizing or timing and operate in simple stream fashion. N:N mapping does not require expensive arithmetic and implemented in table lookup. This provides robust security and efficiency. A significant difference between this approach and prior cipher method is that the session key is used to derive processing parameters (tables and delays) of the encryptor and decryptor in advance of data transmission. Instead of being used to generate a key stream at real-time rates. Algorithm for generating parameters from a session key is disclosed. This is a data communications network and not related to current invention.

(b) US2002184485 addresses secure communication, by encryption of message (SSDO-self signing document objects), such that only known recipient in possession of a secret key can read the message and verification of message, such that text and origin of message can be verified. Both capabilities are built into message that can be transmitted over internet and decrypted or verified by computer implementing a document representation language that supports dynamic content e.g. any standard web browser, such that elaborate procedures to ensure transmitting and receiving computers have same software are no longer necessary. Encrypted message or one encoded for verification can carry within itself all information needed to specify the algorithm needed for decryption.

Each of these is a centrally controlled system and do not provide a mechanism to transfer credits or cash to anonymous accounts.

On the other hand, common transaction media such as payment by personal check or credit card represent a clear loss of anonymity, since the purchaser's identity as well as other personal information is attached to the transaction (e.g., driver's license number, address, telephone number, and any information attached to the name, credit card, or driver's license number).

The use of cash, however, has limitations, especially in the context of electronic commerce.

There is some limited linkage between a few of the individual elements but none are inter-linked to provide comprehensive solution for secure data storage and transmittance via internet utilisation.

Images