Database Encryption with Hash-Based Integrity Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current database security systems fail to prevent unauthorized access and data modification by internal administrators or individuals with OS privileges, leading to potential data leakage and integrity issues.

Innovation Solution

A computer program that encrypts and stores data using a hash function to protect against internal access, verifies data integrity by generating and comparing hash values, and updates encrypted data to different positions to prevent unauthorized changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If data is encrypted in the database system, then data confidentiality is improved, but data integrity verification becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata confidentialityVSAvoidintegrity verification complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing hash values of encrypted data along with their positional information before data modification occurs. This allows integrity verification to be performed efficiently without adding complexity to the verification process, as the reference hash values are already prepared in advance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces hash functions as an intermediary mechanism between encrypted data and integrity verification. By using hash values as a mediator, the system can verify data integrity without directly analyzing the encrypted data, thus maintaining confidentiality while enabling verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If access control is implemented for database security, then unauthorized access is prevented, but internal administrators can still access and modify data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess control securityVSAvoidinternal threat vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-establishing cryptographic protections (encryption and hash verification) that prevent internal threats before they can execute harmful actions. Even if internal administrators attempt to access or modify data, the cryptographic mechanisms ensure that unauthorized modifications can be detected and prevented.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of internal access into a benefit by using the same cryptographic mechanisms to both protect data and enable verification. The encryption that prevents unauthorized access also provides the basis for integrity verification, turning a security constraint into a protective advantage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Loss of information

If encryption is implemented at the user application level, then data confidentiality is improved, but all user applications require encryption/decryption codes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata confidentialityVSAvoidapplication implementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the encryption and decryption operations from user applications and relocates them to the database system level. This allows user applications to interact with encrypted data without needing to implement encryption/decryption codes, as these functions are provided by the database system itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a universal encryption mechanism at the database level that serves multiple functions: protecting data confidentiality, enabling integrity verification, and working with all user applications without requiring application-specific encryption implementation. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for each application to have its own encryption code.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If data is stored in persistent storage medium, then data availability is improved, but data vulnerability to physical access and modification increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata availabilityVSAvoidphysical access vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-establishing cryptographic protections (encryption and hash verification) on data before it is stored in persistent storage. This ensures that even if physical access to the storage medium is obtained, the data remains protected and any unauthorized modifications can be detected through hash verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS9646176B2Method for encrypting database

Publication Date: 2017.05.09 TMAXTIBERO CO LTD

AI summary

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer program stored in a computer-readable medium for encrypting a data value included in a data table stored in a memory and storing the encrypted data value in a persistent storage medium is disclosed. The computer program allows a computer to perform steps including: generating an encrypted data value based on the data value included in the data table stored in a memory; generating a hash value that matches the encrypted data value at least partially based on the data value and positional information of the data value; and determining to write the encrypted data value and the hash value on a persistent storage medium.