Fine-Grained Encrypted Search Database Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for accessing encrypted data lack fine-grained control, leading to potential privacy breaches and unnecessary exposure of irrelevant data during legal searches, as they rely on broad access keys and lack understanding of content-specific access needs.

Innovation Solution

A system that creates an encrypted search database by splitting communications into chunks, allowing for fine-grained encrypted searches based on search terms, enabling targeted access and reducing exposure to irrelevant data by performing an initial encrypted search and subsequent follow-up searches on relevant portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If broad access keys are used to grant law enforcement access to encrypted data, then access authorization is simplified, but privacy is breached and irrelevant data is exposed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess authorizationVSAvoidprivacy breach
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments encrypted data into multiple encrypted data structures with different access controls, allowing law enforcement to access only specific portions relevant to their investigation rather than all data, thus preventing privacy breaches while maintaining authorized access

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality by assigning different access permissions to different segments of encrypted data based on their sensitivity and relevance, enabling fine-grained control where law enforcement can access only the specific data portions they are authorized to view

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If all encrypted data is decrypted for legal access, then complete information is available to authorities, but unnecessary privacy intrusion occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation availabilityVSAvoidprivacy intrusion
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the relevant encrypted data structures needed for the legal investigation and makes them accessible to law enforcement, while leaving other encrypted data structures protected, thus providing necessary information without causing unnecessary privacy intrusion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple keys are created for fine-grained access control, then privacy protection is improved, but key management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidkey management
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by creating a single key management system that can manage multiple encrypted data structures with different access permissions, eliminating the need for separate management systems for each key and reducing overall complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10956519B2Fine-grained encrypted access to encrypted information
Publication Date: 2021.03.23 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • US10956519B2 patent drawing
  • US10956519B2 patent drawing
  • US10956519B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system, method, and computer-readable media for performing a fine-grained encrypted search of data stored in encrypted form in an encrypted search database. The system includes at least one processor and at least one memory having computer-readable instructions for performing the method. The method includes performing an encrypted search of the encrypted search database based on one or more search terms, presenting a result of the encrypted search on an interface, and performing a further search of an encrypted data storage based on a response to the result.