Storage Firmware Copy Blocking for Protected File Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data protection techniques for edge computing devices, such as encryption, hardware circuits, and CRC codes, incur high costs, performance overhead, or misjudgment issues in preventing unauthorized copying of valuable data.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using prevention of replication applications and storage medium firmware to define a supplementary protective zone and execute data blocking procedures based on unique logical block addresses, without additional hardware or excessive computing resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption and decryption means are used to protect data, then data security is improved, but computing resources are occupied and performance is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protection logic from the host computing system and relocates it to the storage medium firmware. The firmware independently handles copy prevention by detecting copy commands and returning error codes, eliminating the need for host-based encryption/decryption operations and their associated performance overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The firmware acts as an intermediary between the host and the stored data. It intercepts copy commands from the host, validates them against protection mechanisms, and either permits or blocks access without requiring the host to perform computationally intensive encryption/decryption operations.
2Reliability
If predetermined hardware circuits are used to identify authorized users, then data security is improved, but construction costs of the edge computing device are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical hardware circuits with a software-based firmware implementation in the storage medium. The firmware contains authorization logic that identifies authorized users and enforces copy protection, achieving the same security function without requiring additional hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The firmware in the storage medium performs multiple functions: it manages data storage, handles copy commands, implements authorization verification, and enforces protection policies. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated hardware circuits for each function.
3Device complexity
If predetermined characters or CRC codes are used for protection, then implementation is simple, but misjudgment occurs with error detection rate of only around 50%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the protection parameter from simple CRC check codes to a comprehensive command-based protection mechanism. The firmware analyzes the entire copy command structure, source and destination addresses, and data patterns to detect unauthorized copying, significantly improving detection accuracy beyond the 50% error rate of CRC codes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preventing a file to be protected, from being copied includes the steps of executing a prevention of replication application on a host to enable or disable a setting program, processing the file to be protected, and defining a supplementary protective zone after processing the file to be protected. The prevention of replication application of the host notifies firmware of a storage medium, of a predetermined logical block address corresponding to the supplementary protective zone by a communication connection, so as to complete a setting procedure for preventing the file to be protected, from being copied. When a data access address read by the host from the storage medium includes the predetermined logical block address, the firmware executing a pre-stored data blocking program so as to prevent the file to be protected, from being copied by the host.