Secure File Sharing with Centralized Key Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing file sharing technologies face issues such as the need for users to manage and distribute encryption keys manually, leading to key leakage risks and inconvenience when sharing with multiple recipients.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a domestic cryptographic algorithm with a key management center, generating and managing public and private key pairs, enabling secure file sharing by encrypting and decrypting files using SM2, SM3, and SM4 algorithms, ensuring only authorized users can access the content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If common file sharing technology is used, then file sharing functionality is achieved, but key security risks increase due to manual key distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a key management center as an intermediary between file sharers and recipients. The center generates key pairs, manages public keys, and handles key distribution automatically. This mediator eliminates the need for users to manually distribute encryption keys, thereby improving both security (by preventing key leakage) and operational convenience (by automating key management).
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service through automatic key generation and distribution. When a user registers, the key management center automatically generates their key pair, stores their public key, and provides their private key to the user. The system also automatically matches files with appropriate recipients based on public key verification, eliminating manual key distribution efforts.
2Reliability
If file encryption is performed multiple times for multiple recipients, then security is maintained, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal encryption system where a single encrypted file can be shared with multiple recipients simultaneously. The key management center manages multiple public keys and automatically decrypts the file for each authorized recipient using their corresponding private key. This universal approach allows one encryption operation to serve multiple purposes and multiple users, eliminating the need for separate encryption processes for each recipient.
Solution Approach 2:
The key management center acts as a mediator that handles the complexity of multi-recipient encryption. Instead of requiring the file sharer to perform multiple encryption operations, the system encrypts the file once and the key management center automatically distributes it to all authorized recipients by decrypting with their respective private keys, thereby simplifying the encryption process while maintaining security.
3Ease of operation
If encryption key is shared with multiple people, then file sharing convenience is improved, but key leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the encryption key into two distinct parts: a public key that can be freely shared with multiple recipients for encryption, and a private key that remains confidential and is used for decryption. This segmentation allows the encryption key functionality to be distributed widely (improving convenience) while the decryption capability remains secure and centralized (preventing leakage). Each recipient receives only the public key, not the private key.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs asymmetric cryptography where the public key and private key have different functions and security requirements. The public key is designed to be shared openly for encryption purposes, while the private key is kept secret for decryption. This asymmetric design allows convenient key distribution to multiple users without compromising security, as the public key cannot be used to derive the private key or decrypt files.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for secure file sharing based on a domestic cryptographic algorithm including steps: registering, by a user, at a file sharing user terminal A and a file receiving user terminal B, and sending registration information of the user to a key management center; calculating, by the key management center, digest values of usernames a and b, combining the digest values to calculate private keys sa and sb of the user, and sending the private keys to the file sharing user terminal A and the file receiving user terminal B; specifying, by the user, a file f to be shared at the file sharing user terminal A, encrypting the file to generate a shared file F, and sharing the shared file; and receiving, by the file receiving user terminal B, the shared file F and then decrypting the shared file to obtain the file f.