Encrypted Graph Retrieval via Searchable Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems require significant computational resources and communication overhead when searching encrypted graph structure data, particularly when traversing paths between nodes, due to the need for frequent encryption queries and large data transmission in cloud-based environments, compromising efficiency and security.
Innovation Solution
A method using searchable encryption algorithms to generate and transmit encrypted graph data and queries, allowing for secure retrieval processing on a cloud server without decrypting the data, by employing a searchable encryption algorithm set that includes secret key generation, encryption, query generation, and matching functions to reduce the load on computational resources and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If cloud-based storage and processing are used for graph structure data, then data storage capacity and accessibility are improved, but security risks increase due to data being stored in external organizations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by encrypting the graph data before outsourcing it to the cloud. The encryption is performed in advance on the user's local system, so that when data is stored in the cloud, it is already in encrypted form. This preliminary encryption action ensures that even though data is stored externally, the security concern is addressed because the cloud provider cannot access the plaintext data.
2Reliability
If traditional encryption methods are used on encrypted graph data, then data security is maintained, but retrieval processing becomes inefficient requiring frequent decryption and re-encryption operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the encrypted adjacency list - that acts as a mediator between the encrypted graph data and the retrieval query. Instead of decrypting the entire graph structure to perform traversal operations, the system uses the encrypted adjacency list to guide the traversal while maintaining encryption. This intermediary structure enables efficient retrieval without compromising security or requiring frequent decryption operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical decryption-encryption process with a cryptographic substitution approach. Rather than mechanically decrypting data for processing and re-encrypting it afterward, the system substitutes this mechanical process with cryptographic operations that can be performed on encrypted data directly, such as symmetric encryption with key derivation and encrypted adjacency list traversal. This substitution eliminates the inefficiency of repeated decryption and re-encryption cycles.
3Ease of operation
If cloud-based retrieval processing is implemented, then accessibility and convenience are improved, but computational resource requirements increase due to large data transmission and processing loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary components for retrieval processing to the cloud while keeping the heavy computational workload local. Specifically, the encrypted graph data and encrypted adjacency lists are stored in the cloud for easy accessibility, but the actual traversal and query processing are performed locally on the user's system using the encrypted adjacency list as a guide. This extraction of data storage from computation reduces the computational burden on cloud resources while maintaining accessibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for retrieving an encrypted graph, in which a first computer generates an encrypted graph, and a second computer retrieves the encrypted graph, wherein: the first computer generates a secret key, encrypts a graph that includes a start point, an edge, and an end point to generate an encrypted graph, generates an encryption query, transmits encrypted graph data in which the encrypted graph and the encryption query are correlated for each edge and a searchable encryption matching function to the second computer, generates an encrypted graph retrieval query in which a graph to be retrieved is encrypted by the retrievable cryptogram query function, and transmits the generated retrieval query to the second computer; and the second computer, accepts the received encrypted graph retrieval query and encrypted graph data as inputs, and executes a retrieval process using the searchable encryption matching function.