Secret Sharing via Blockchains for Data Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security measures are inadequate in protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access and hacking in online environments, as data can be compromised if it falls into the wrong hands.
Innovation Solution
The method involves splitting an electronic document containing sensitive information into multiple shares and integrating these shares into multiple blockchains, which are then distributed to trusted peer devices, requiring a minimum threshold of shares to reconstruct and access the data, thereby adding a layer of protection against unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sensitive data is stored in a single blockchain, then data accessibility is improved, but security and confidentiality deteriorate because hackers can access all data if they compromise that blockchain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides sensitive data into multiple separate shares and distributes them across multiple different blockchains. Each blockchain contains only a portion of the data (e.g., Share 1, Share 2, Share 3), so that compromising a single blockchain does not expose the complete sensitive information. The full data can only be reconstructed when a threshold number of shares are combined, thereby resolving the contradiction between accessibility and security.
2Reliability
If data is split into multiple shares across multiple blockchains, then security is improved, but system complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple blockchains and share reconstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a coordinator smart contract as an intermediary that manages the secret sharing and reconstruction process across multiple blockchains. This coordinator handles the complexity of share distribution, threshold management, and reconstruction coordination, allowing the system to maintain high security through multi-blockchain distribution while reducing operational complexity by centralizing management functions in the smart contract.
3Speed
If all shares are stored in one blockchain for easy retrieval, then operation speed is improved, but vulnerability to hacking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments sensitive data into multiple shares distributed across different blockchains, so that even though retrieval requires accessing multiple sources (potentially slowing down the process), the vulnerability to hacking is dramatically reduced. The segmentation ensures that compromise of any single blockchain does not expose the complete data set, resolving the contradiction between speed and security by prioritizing security while accepting a distributed retrieval architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Confidential, secret data may be shared via one or more blockchains. Mortgage applications, medical records, financial records, and other electronic documents often contain social security numbers, names, addresses, account information, and other personal data. A secret sharing algorithm is applied to any secret data to generate shares. The shares may then be integrated or written to one or more blockchains for distribution.