Attribute-Based Encryption for Secure Domain Data Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for secure information sharing between domains lack effective fine-grained access control and often require a central key authority, which can be impractical in multi-national or multi-organizational collaborations due to trust issues and differing interoperability levels.
Innovation Solution
The method employs Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) to process files and establish attributes for determining permitted domains, using egress and ingress data guards with decryption keys to ensure secure communication, eliminating the need for a central key authority and allowing each domain to manage its data distribution according to its specific policies and relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a central key authority is used to manage encryption keys for information sharing between domains, then key management and access control can be centralized, but trust issues and interoperability difficulties arise in multi-national or multi-organizational collaborations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized key authority into distributed domain-specific key management systems. Each domain maintains its own key guard that can independently verify encryption keys without requiring trust in a central authority. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for inter-domain trust while maintaining effective key management through local verification capabilities.
2Reliability
If fine-grained access control is implemented through attribute-based encryption, then information sharing security is improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple egress data guards and attribute management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal key guard architecture where each domain's key guard can handle multiple functions: verifying encryption keys from any source domain, managing multiple attributes, and controlling access to multiple destination domains. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components for each domain pair, thereby managing complexity while maintaining fine-grained access control security.
3Adaptability or versatility
If each destination domain has a uniquely associated egress data guard, then data distribution control is improved for each domain, but the number of data guards and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service capabilities where each domain's key guard can independently verify encryption keys and control data distribution without requiring manual configuration or external authorization for each domain pair. The system automatically matches encryption keys with corresponding destination domain attributes, enabling fine-grained control while reducing the operational burden and effective complexity of managing multiple data guards.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of secure information sharing between a first domain and a plurality of destination domains, the method comprising: a. Processing a file at the first domain to establish a set of attributes of the file, the attributes of the file comprising a destination attribute for determining permitted domains to which the file may be sent, b. Encrypting the file at the first domain using the attributes of the file, and thereby generating an encrypted file, c. providing the first domain with, for a first destination domain, a first egress data guard comprising a destination attribute associated with the first destination domain, d. identifying that the encrypted file is desired to be communicated to the first destination domain, e. attempting to decrypt the encrypted file at the first egress data guard using a decryption key derived from the destination attribute of the first egress data guard, where decryption will be possible if the destination attribute of the data guard matches the destination attribute of the file, f. if it has been possible to decrypt the encrypted file at step e, making a determination as to whether the file may be communicated to the first destination domain.