Secure Enclave Encrypted Data Execution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud-based data encryption using fully homomorphic encryption is computationally expensive, leading to significant processing delays, which outweighs the security benefits due to high computational costs.

Innovation Solution

A system that compiles applications into bytecode and encrypts data using symmetric encryption, leveraging a trusted module like Intel SGX enclaves for secure processing, allowing only the client and the trusted module to decrypt and process the data, reducing computational overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fully homomorphic encryption is used to encrypt data before cloud processing, then data confidentiality is improved, but processing speed deteriorates significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata confidentialityVSAvoidprocessing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the encryption approach by using symmetric encryption for data protection during cloud processing, rather than fully homomorphic encryption. This segmentation allows the cloud service provider to process encrypted data efficiently while maintaining confidentiality, resolving the contradiction between security and processing speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary encryption layer using symmetric encryption algorithms. This intermediary approach enables the cloud service provider to operate on encrypted data without requiring the computationally expensive fully homomorphic encryption operations, thus maintaining both security and acceptable processing speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If fully homomorphic encryption is applied to protect data in the cloud, then security against malicious users is improved, but computational cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcomputational cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs computationally lighter symmetric encryption methods instead of expensive fully homomorphic encryption. This allows for efficient encryption and decryption operations that can be performed repeatedly without prohibitive computational costs, making cloud-based encrypted processing economically viable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the encryption parameter from fully homomorphic encryption to symmetric encryption. This parameter change reduces the computational complexity and energy requirements while maintaining the essential security function of protecting data during cloud processing operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11429750B2Executing encrypted data using secure enclave

Publication Date: 2022.08.30 SAP SE

AI summary

Provided is a system and method for executing an encrypted software program within a host platform. The execution may be bifurcated among a trusted module and an untrusted area of the host platform. In one example, the method may include receiving bytecode and encrypted data of a software program, decrypting, via a secure memory area, the encrypted data into decrypted data, executing, via the secure memory area, instructions from the bytecode on the decrypted data to generate execution results, encrypting the generated execution results, and transmitting the encrypted execution results to a remote computing device.