Customer Data Encryption Without Human Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data encryption methods are not secure as they allow human access to unencrypted data, making it vulnerable to hackers even if they obtain login credentials.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that granularly encrypts and decrypts customer data in an encrypted environment, where the encryption key is not stored and is retrieved from a customer-controlled key management system, ensuring no human access to the data, even if hackers obtain login credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If data is encrypted at disk or operating system level with key stored by the data storage system, then data can be accessed by employees for legitimate purposes, but hackers can steal data by obtaining employee login credentials
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption key is extracted from the data storage system and placed under customer control. The server receives the key from the customer or a customer-controlled key management system, processes it in memory without persistent storage, and discards it after use. This separation ensures that neither the data storage system nor its employees have access to the decryption key, eliminating the security vulnerability while maintaining operational capability through customer-controlled key management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the data protection function into two independent components: data storage (without keys) and key management (customer-controlled). The server processes data in an encrypted environment where the key exists only temporarily in memory, not on disk. This segmentation ensures that compromise of one component does not affect the other, and employees of the data storage system cannot access decrypted data.
2Productivity
If unencrypted data is transmitted to backup system and data storage system for processing and storage, then data can be processed and stored efficiently, but employees of both systems have access to the data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary encryption of data before it is transmitted to the backup system or data storage system. Data is encrypted at the source, ensuring that even if employees access the stored data, they cannot read it without the key. The key is then used temporarily in memory for processing operations, maintaining productivity while eliminating vulnerability from persistent storage of unencrypted data.
3Adaptability or versatility
If encryption key is stored by the data storage system, then decryption can be performed when needed, but the stored key creates a security risk if compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a customer-controlled key management system as an intermediary between the data storage system and the decryption process. This intermediary holds and manages the encryption key securely, providing it temporarily to the server for processing operations in memory. The key never resides in the data storage system, eliminating the security risk while maintaining adaptability through the intermediary's controlled key distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for securely handling and storing customer data without enabling human access to the data receives and processes the customer data for storage where the customer data is granularly encrypting without storing a key for decryption. The granularly-encrypted customer data is transmitted over a secure network to a cloud-based data storage system that has no access to the key for decryption. The system receives a request from the customer to transmit the customer data to an external destination. The system retrieves the granularly-encrypted customer data from the cloud-based data storage system over a secure network and receives the key for decryption from the customer. The system decrypts the granularly-encrypted customer data using the key and discards the key. The system processes the customer data for transmission and transmits the customer data to the external destination over a secure network.