Homomorphic Encryption for Secure Cloud Data Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cloud services lack secure data storage and processing capabilities, as they often require data to be decrypted for processing, which compromises security and efficiency, especially when handling sensitive information like personal or corporate data.

Innovation Solution

Implementing fully homomorphic encryption, which allows encrypted data to be processed within the cloud without decryption, using a special scheme that supports both algebraic and analytical approaches, ensuring operations on encrypted data result in the same outcomes as on unencrypted data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data is encrypted and stored in the cloud, then data security is improved, but data processing capability deteriorates because the cloud cannot process encrypted data without decryption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoiddata processing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces homomorphic encryption as an intermediary mechanism that allows the cloud to process encrypted data without decryption. The encryption scheme acts as a mediator between security requirements and processing needs, enabling computations on ciphertexts that yield encrypted results equivalent to computations on plaintexts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the data representation parameter from plaintext to ciphertext through homomorphic encryption. This parameter change allows the data to maintain security properties while still being processable by the cloud, fundamentally altering how data is stored and manipulated in the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If data is decrypted for processing, then data processing capability is improved, but data security deteriorates because decrypted data can be accessed by perpetrators

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing capabilityVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Homomorphic encryption serves as an intermediary that eliminates the need for decryption during processing. The cloud operates on encrypted data through specially designed homomorphic operations, acting as a mediator between the need for processing and the requirement for security, thus avoiding the security risks of decryption entirely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If encryption keys are sent to the cloud for data decryption, then data processing capability is improved, but data security deteriorates because the cloud gains access to decryption keys

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing capabilityVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the decryption key from the cloud environment entirely. Instead of providing keys to the cloud for decryption, the system uses homomorphic encryption to perform all processing on encrypted data, removing the key management vulnerability from the cloud architecture and keeping cryptographic secrets exclusively on the client side.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Adaptability or versatility

If data is frequently transferred between client and cloud for decryption and re-encryption, then data processing flexibility is improved, but loss of time increases due to repeated transfer operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing flexibilityVSAvoiddata transfer time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous processing of encrypted data within the cloud without interrupting the data in transit for decryption and re-encryption cycles. Homomorphic operations allow the cloud to continuously manipulate encrypted data locally, maintaining useful action without the time-consuming back-and-forth transfer operations required by conventional approaches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS8925075B2Method for protecting data used in cloud computing with homomorphic encryption
Publication Date: 2014.12.30 CLOUDBLUE LLC
  • US8925075B2 patent drawing
  • US8925075B2 patent drawing
  • US8925075B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method for protection of cloud computing includes homomorphic encryption of data. Partially or fully homomorphic encryption allows for data within the cloud to be processed without decryption. A partially or fully homomorphic encryption is provided. The proposed scheme can be used with both an algebraic and analytical approaches. A cloud service is implemented on a server. A client encrypts data using fully homomorphic encryption and sends it to the server. The cloud server performs computations without decryption of the data and returns the encrypted calculation result to the client. The client decrypts the result, and the result coincides with the result of the same calculation performed on the initial plaintext data.