Decentralized Blockchain Data Access Control via Smart Contracts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Centralized systems for data access management are prone to abuse of power by central authorities, incur higher costs, and lack decentralization, making it difficult for data owners to authorize or revoke access without a central authority.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain-based solution where data is recorded and accessed in an encrypted manner, using symmetric keys and multi-signature authorization, allowing data owners to grant and revoke access without relying on a central authority, through a decentralized network of validators, authors, and receivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized authority manages data access permissions, then data access control is simplified and centralized, but the system becomes vulnerable to abuse of power, higher costs, and loss of decentralization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the central authority from the system by implementing a decentralized permission management mechanism where data owners directly control access permissions through cryptographic keys stored on blockchain, eliminating the need for centralized trustees or administrators
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces blockchain as an intermediary layer that enables trustless permission management through smart contracts and cryptographic verification, allowing data owners and data users to interact without requiring a central authority
2Ease of operation
If a centralized authority manages data access, then permission management is centralized, but users incur higher costs and face arbitrary exclusion or system shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service permission management where data owners autonomously grant and revoke access permissions using their private keys, and the blockchain network automatically verifies and records these operations without requiring centralized administrative intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the centralized authority that imposes costs and arbitrary control, replacing it with a decentralized system where permission operations are executed autonomously by data owners through cryptographic signatures
3Reliability
If data is stored in encrypted manner on blockchain, then data security is improved, but access control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal permission management framework using standardized smart contract templates and cryptographic protocols that can be applied across different blockchain platforms and data types, reducing operational complexity despite the underlying encryption mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces smart contracts as intermediaries that automatically manage encrypted data access permissions through predefined rules and cryptographic verification, simplifying the interaction between data owners and data users while maintaining security
Data Source
AI summary
A data management blockchain and protocol for controlling access to data, in which no central trusted authority is required, is presented. The data management blockchain and protocol comprises an initial announcement of public keys by a plurality of blockchain participants, through which each blockchain participant establishes an identity. Subsequently a first of the plurality of blockchain participants publishes data encrypted with a cryptographic key on the blockchain. A second of the plurality of blockchain participants is assigned as an owner of the data by an authority. Access to the data is granted or revoked to further participants by the second of the plurality of blockchain participants through signed permission messages published on the blockchain, and a corresponding hand-over of the cryptographic key by the first of the plurality of blockchain participants, allowing access to the data. Access to further data may be revoked by changing the cryptographic key used.