Secret Sharing Data Distribution Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cryptographic systems are vulnerable to unauthorized access due to reliance on user security, susceptibility to brute-force attacks, and lack of robustness in secret sharing schemes, particularly in handling large data sets and tolerating damage to shares.

Innovation Solution

A robust computational secret sharing scheme that splits and encrypts data into multiple shares, stored across different locations, using a combination of symmetric encryption, probabilistic commitment schemes, and error correction codes to ensure secure recovery and tolerate adversarial modifications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If secret sharing schemes are used to distribute data into multiple shares, then data security is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to adversarial modifications and share damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidadversarial modifications
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies error correction codes to secret shares before distribution, creating a protective layer that cushions against adversarial modifications. The encoder adds redundant information to each share, enabling the decoder to detect and correct errors even when shares are tampered with or damaged during storage or transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple cryptographic and error correction techniques into a composite protection scheme. This includes integrating secret sharing protocols with error correction codes, creating a hybrid system that leverages the strengths of both approaches to provide robust protection against both unauthorized access and adversarial modifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If data is split into multiple shares and stored across different locations, then data availability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata availabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides secret data into multiple discrete shares using secret sharing protocols, distributing them across different storage locations or parties. This segmentation enables the system to tolerate loss or damage of individual shares while maintaining data availability through reconstruction from sufficient shares.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces error correction codes as an intermediary layer between the secret shares and storage medium. This intermediary provides automatic error detection and correction capabilities, simplifying the recovery process and reducing the complexity of manual share management and verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If traditional cryptographic systems are used with user-managed keys, then ease of operation is maintained, but security is compromised due to user errors and poor password practices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser accessibilityVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the security management burden from users by implementing automated error correction and share reconstruction mechanisms. Users no longer need to manually manage complex cryptographic keys or remember multiple passwords, as the system automatically handles key derivation, share generation, and error correction, maintaining ease of operation while improving security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9774449B2Systems and methods for distributing and securing data
Publication Date: 2017.09.26 SECURITY FIRST INNOVATIONS LLC
  • US9774449B2 patent drawing
  • US9774449B2 patent drawing
  • US9774449B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A robust computational secret sharing scheme that provides for the efficient distribution and subsequent recovery of a private data is disclosed. A cryptographic key may be randomly generated and then shared using a secret sharing algorithm to generate a collection of key shares. The private data may be encrypted using the key, resulting in a ciphertext. The ciphertext may then be broken into ciphertext fragments using an Information Dispersal Algorithm. Each key share and a corresponding ciphertext. Fragment are provided as input to a committal method of a probabilistic commitment scheme, resulting in a committal value and a decommittal value. The share for the robust computational secret sharing scheme may be obtained by combining the key share, the ciphertext fragment, the decommittal value, and the vector of committal values.