Database Row and Block Hashing for Tamper Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current database security measures are inadequate in preventing tampering, particularly for privileged users who can bypass access controls and modify database files, and recent compliance regulations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act require tamper-evidence mechanisms to secure sensitive data.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that create row-hashes and block-hashes within a database table, signing these hashes with an encryption key to detect data tampering, with variations including hash-chaining and storage in secure locations like an External Security Module, ensuring that any alteration results in invalid hashes, thus making tampering evident.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional database access controls are used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability is worsened because privileged users can bypass controls and tamper with data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hashing of data rows and blocks before storing them in the database. These hash values are computed and stored in advance, creating a tamper-evident record that will detect any future modifications to the data, thereby ensuring data integrity while maintaining ease of access operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces hash values as an intermediary mechanism between the data and the integrity verification process. These hash values act as mediators that indirectly verify data integrity without requiring direct inspection of the actual data content, allowing privileged users to access data while any tampering is detected through the hash comparison
2Reliability
If hashing and signing mechanisms are implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the integrity verification mechanism into hierarchical levels: row-level hashing for individual data rows, block-level hashing for groups of rows, and signature-level verification for authorized users. This segmentation allows the complex security mechanism to be broken down into manageable, modular components that can be implemented and verified independently at each level
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of data representation by transforming actual data into hash values with specific cryptographic properties. This parameter change enables tamper detection while the use of standardized cryptographic algorithms keeps the implementation complexity manageable through well-established mathematical transformations
3Reliability
If all data is made tamper-evident, then reliability is improved, but productivity is worsened due to additional hashing and verification overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides data into blocks and applies hashing at both row-level and block-level, allowing verification to be performed on smaller segments rather than the entire dataset. This segmentation enables parallel processing and reduces the computational overhead for each individual operation while maintaining comprehensive tamper evidence coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies hashing selectively based on the verification needs - full block hashing is performed only when integrity verification is required, while routine data operations can proceed with minimal overhead. This partial application of the tamper-evident mechanism maintains productivity for normal operations while ensuring reliability when verification is needed
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates detecting data tampering within a table in a database. The system operates by hashing a row in the table to create a row-hash. The system then hashes a block of consecutive row-hashes to create a block-hash. Finally, the system signs the block-hash with an encryption key, so that tampering with data in the row will result in an invalid row-hash and an invalid block-hash.