DNS Encryption for Secure Private Data Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Domain Name System (DNS) databases are public and lack mechanisms for private data storage, making it difficult to securely manage sensitive information like email addresses and IP addresses, which are often considered private by users.
Innovation Solution
The system encrypts private data and stores it in existing DNS resource records, allowing only trusted parties to decrypt and access it through keying material and encryption identifying data, ensuring data classification into public and private categories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If DNS stores all data as public information, then data accessibility is improved, but data security and privacy are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different portions of DNS data have different security properties. Public data remains accessible to all, while private data is encrypted and only accessible to authorized users. This is achieved by implementing encryption for specific private data fields (such as personal email addresses, phone numbers, and identification numbers) while leaving public data unencrypted, allowing each data element to have its own accessibility characteristics based on its classification.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If DNS implements private data storage with encryption, then data security is improved, but system complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-classifying data as public or private before storage in the DNS system. During data entry, the system determines the classification and applies appropriate encryption automatically. This preliminary classification and encryption setup eliminates the need for complex real-time access control decisions during data retrieval, as the security requirements are already established before the data is stored in the DNS.
3Loss of information
If DNS encrypts private data, then data privacy is improved, but data retrieval efficiency is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing DNS data into distinct public and private segments. Public data is stored in unencrypted form and can be retrieved through standard DNS queries, maintaining high retrieval efficiency. Private data is stored in encrypted form and requires separate authenticated retrieval processes. This segmentation allows the system to maintain efficient retrieval for the majority of public data while providing enhanced security for private data through dedicated retrieval pathways.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices and methods are presented for providing controlled use of information stored publicly within the domain name system (DNS). Controlled use is established by storing encrypted data at the DNS servers and establishing trust, in the form of transfer of keying material, with requisite parties. The invention provides backward compatibility with existing DNS servers, in that, it provides for storage of encrypted data in existing resource records. The invention benefits from allowing storage in the DNS to be divided into both public and private classification, such that a user can identify and store certain public information that is available to all parties that have access to the DNS, while other information that has been classified as private is only available to parties which have established a trust.