Inverted Index for Secure Encrypted Data Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems face challenges in balancing search speed and security when accessing and searching encrypted data, often taking several seconds or minutes to search through large volumes of secured data, and struggle to optimize performance without compromising security objectives.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a user interface, web layer, and database layer with secure socket layer certificate authorization, featuring an inverted index for fast searching, and configurable encryption and compression methods at field, document, or chunk levels, along with multiple authorization stages to ensure secure and efficient data access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is encrypted to maintain security, then security is improved, but search speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and maintains an inverted index in advance that contains encrypted keywords and their corresponding document identifiers. This preliminary structure allows the search engine to quickly locate encrypted data without scanning the entire database, thus maintaining both security and search speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an inverted index as an intermediary data structure between the search query and the encrypted database. The index contains encrypted keywords that map to document locations, enabling fast searches without requiring decryption of the entire database, thus resolving the contradiction between security and search performance
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to all data fields, then security is improved, but search performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies encryption selectively based on data sensitivity. The inverted index encrypts keywords that require security protection while leaving other parts of the system optimized for performance. This localized approach to encryption maintains security for sensitive information while preserving search performance overall
3Reliability
If multiple authorization stages are implemented, then security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authorization system is segmented into distinct layers: web layer authentication, application layer authorization, and database layer access control. Each layer handles a specific aspect of security, distributing the complexity across multiple manageable components rather than concentrating it in a single complex system
4Reliability
If SSL certificate authorization is required for all communications, then security is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
SSL certificate authorization is established in advance for all communication channels between the web layer, application layer, and database layer. Once the SSL connection is initially established and authenticated, subsequent communications within the secured connection experience minimal overhead, as the authentication framework is already in place
Data Source
AI summary
A system for fast secured searching may include a user interface, a web layer configured for executing application logic and configured for interacting with a user via the user interface and configured to perform user authentication, and a database layer in communication with and accessible by the web layer and comprising a database configured for storing data, and a search engine configured for searching the database, wherein, communication to and from the database layer from and to the web layer is controlled by secure socket layer certificate authorization. The database layer may also include an inverted index in communication with the database and the search engine and configured for maintaining updated snapshots relating to the data in the database and an encryption/decryption layer for selective encryption of the data and configurable for field level, document level, and/or chunk level encryption.