Data Block Level Encryption for Granular Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer systems lack the ability to restrict access to information within a data file once unauthorized access has been gained, allowing malicious actors to access all data within the file even if password protection is bypassed.
Innovation Solution
Implementing data block level encryption by segmenting data files into blocks, associating them with reference tags and access keys, and storing these blocks in memory in a non-contiguous manner, requiring knowledge of both access keys and block locations to access the data, thereby limiting access even if one block is compromised.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If data files are stored as password-protected files, then ease of operation is improved, but information security deteriorates because once password protection is bypassed, all information within the file can be accessed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a data file into multiple separate data blocks, each encrypted with a different access key. This segmentation ensures that compromising one block does not expose the entire file, as each block requires its own unique access key for decryption. The data blocks are stored separately in memory rather than as a contiguous file, enhancing security while maintaining operational simplicity through automated management.
2Reliability
If data files are segmented into encrypted data blocks with distributed storage, then information security is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple access keys and location tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data information table as an intermediary structure that manages the complexity of storing multiple access keys and block locations. This table maintains associations between data blocks, their encryption keys, and storage locations, allowing the system to handle the segmented encrypted data blocks without requiring complex manual management. The intermediary structure absorbs the complexity while presenting a simplified interface for data access.
3Ease of operation
If all data blocks are stored contiguously in memory, then ease of operation is improved, but information security deteriorates because compromising one location exposes all data blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data file into multiple data blocks and distributes their storage locations in memory rather than storing them contiguously. Each data block is assigned a unique location, and the data information table tracks these dispersed locations. This spatial segmentation ensures that even if an attacker compromises a specific memory location, they can only access that single data block, not the entire file, thereby mitigating the harmful effect of unauthorized access while maintaining efficient retrieval through the location tracking mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
An information security system that includes a data control engine configured to receive a data file and to segment the data file into a set of data blocks that each contain a portion of data from the data file. The data control engine is further configured to associate the set of data blocks with a reference tag and to store an association between the set of data blocks and the reference tag. The data control engine is further configured to identify an access key for encrypting each data block, to encrypt each data block with a corresponding access key, and to store an association between each data block and each corresponding access key. The data control engine is further configured to store each data block in a memory and to store location information identifying the location of each data block in the memory.