Dynamic Schema Database Field-Level Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional database systems face security weaknesses, particularly in allowing administrative users access to unencrypted data, which can lead to data breaches and violate security standards, and they often encrypt data either not at all or in totality, leading to inefficiency and insecurity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing client-side and field-level encryption with a dynamic schema database system that separates administrative duties and uses encryption to manage access, restricting access to plaintext data and allowing only encrypted data to be accessed by users with appropriate permissions, even for system administrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is encrypted in total, then data security is improved, but system efficiency deteriorates due to increased computing resources required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements field-level encryption where only specific sensitive fields within documents are encrypted rather than encrypting entire documents or all data. This selective approach encrypts only the necessary data fields, reducing computing resources while maintaining security for critical information.
2Ease of operation
If administrative users have access to plaintext data for management, then ease of operation is improved, but data security deteriorates due to potential unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates administrative duties into two groups: system administrators who manage infrastructure but cannot access plaintext data, and application administrators who can access plaintext data but are restricted in system management. This segmentation of privileges ensures that no single group has both system control and data access, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining operational capability.
3Reliability
If field-level encryption is implemented, then data security is improved by restricting access to specific fields, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic transparent encryption and decryption capabilities where the database system automatically encrypts data at the field level without requiring application code changes. The system handles encryption/decryption transparently, reducing the operational complexity despite the increased structural complexity of field-level encryption.
Data Source
AI summary
A database system comprising a database having a dynamic schema and comprising a plurality of data storage nodes; and at least one processor configured to, using an encryption process: manage access to plaintext data stored in the plurality of data storage nodes by users employing at least one client-controlled resource in a client access layer; restrict access to the plaintext data by other users, wherein the other users include users with system administration privileges for the database and administrators of processing resources hosting the database; and manage access to encrypted copies of the plaintext data by the users with system administration privileges for the database such that the system administration privileges do not enable access to plaintext versions of the encrypted copies. A method for managing data security for a database. A database system with a dynamic schema architecture, a client access layer, and an operational database layer.