Order-Preserving Encryption for Sortable SaaS Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data encryption solutions fail to enable sorting and searching of encrypted data, limiting their usability in Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and cloud computing, where sensitive data remains exposed due to lack of control over encryption and processing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating an encryption dictionary that maps plaintext symbols to random tokens, allowing for order-preserving encryption, enabling SaaS applications to process encrypted data without decryption, by using a monotonic function to calculate random tokens based on the lexicographic order of plaintext symbols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard encryption solutions are used to secure data in SaaS applications, then data confidentiality is improved, but the ability to sort and search encrypted data is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the encryption approach by changing the parameters of the encryption function to be monotonic, which preserves the order relationship between plaintext and ciphertext. This allows the encrypted data to maintain sortable and searchable properties while remaining confidential, resolving the contradiction between security and operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an order-preserving encryption function as an intermediary between the plaintext data and the encrypted storage. This intermediary maintains the structural properties of the data (order relationships) while providing encryption, enabling both confidentiality and the ability to perform sorting and searching operations on encrypted data.
2Reliability
If data is encrypted before storage in SaaS applications, then data security is improved, but processing operations like search and sort require decryption
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the encryption function to be monotonic and order-preserving, the patent enables processing operations to be performed directly on encrypted data without decryption. The encrypted data maintains its order relationships, allowing efficient sorting and searching while keeping data secured, thus improving productivity without sacrificing security.
3Adaptability or versatility
If SaaS providers control encryption keys, then service functionality is improved, but user control over sensitive data is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the encryption key management into two parts: the user retains control of their encryption keys while the SaaS provider receives only encrypted data. This segmentation allows the provider to deliver full service functionality on encrypted data without having access to or control over the encryption keys, thereby maintaining user data control while preserving service adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for sorting encrypted data within a software as a service (SaaS) environment. Data is encrypted on a per symbol basis with a symbol based encryption module. Sort and search functionality preserving encryption that allows other modules to sort tokens and to search for tokens is provided. Encrypted tokens that have been encrypted by the symbol based encryption module are stored in a database. Access to the encrypted tokens is provided through the SaaS environment.