Genomic Informatics Secure Framework via Trusted Execution Environment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional genomic informatics systems lack sufficient security and privacy measures, leading to potential breaches and uncontrolled data dissemination, as they rely on transitive trust relationships and do not provide granular access control or dynamic policy enforcement.
Innovation Solution
A secure framework is implemented using a managed computing pipeline and hosted computing module with user authentication, role-based access control, and virtualization containers to process and annotate genomic data, generating proxy patient identities and storing results in an auditable database, ensuring secure data handling and access control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional data releases with patient-specific genomic information are used, then access is granted to researchers and clinicians, but security is compromised due to transitive trust relationships and lack of granular control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a trusted execution environment (TEE) as an intermediary between data holders and data recipients. The TEE acts as a mediator that enables secure data access without requiring transitive trust relationships. Researchers and clinicians can access genomic data through the TEE's controlled interface, which enforces access policies and prevents unauthorized data exposure, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of access and security reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data access process into distinct controlled stages: data request, authentication, authorized access within TEE, and result retrieval. By dividing the access flow into segmented, policy-enforced steps, the system enables granular control over who accesses what data under what conditions, maintaining both operational ease and security reliability
2Loss of information
If all data for a large study be centralized, then complete audit information can be provided, but security policies cannot change dynamically and recipients must be trusted to enforce policies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic policy enforcement within the trusted execution environment. Access policies can be modified and updated in real-time without requiring system reconfiguration or data redistribution. The TEE dynamically adjusts access controls based on current policies, enabling both complete audit tracking and flexible policy adaptation simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements comprehensive audit logging that provides real-time feedback on data access patterns, policy violations, and usage metrics. This feedback mechanism enables centralized monitoring and control while allowing dynamic policy adjustments based on observed behavior, resolving the contradiction between maintaining complete audit information and enabling policy flexibility
3Ease of operation
If API returns variants by identifier, then fine-grained access can be provided, but sensitive data is returned into an untrusted environment where associations may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The trusted execution environment serves as an intermediary that processes fine-grained data access requests while maintaining data protection. The API can provide detailed variant information by identifier through the TEE, which ensures that even though fine-grained access is enabled, the data remains protected within the trusted boundary and associations between genomic data and patient identifiers are not compromised
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different security qualities to different parts of the data access system. Within the TEE, data receives maximum protection with enforced access controls and encryption. The API interface provides fine-grained access control, while the TEE interior maintains highest security standards. This local differentiation of security quality allows fine-grained access where needed while maintaining strong protection where critical
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for a secure framework for storing and analyzing genomic data. Embodiments of the present invention apply persistent governance to sensitive information and to the analytics that operate upon it, managing the interaction between the two.