User-Token Key Management for Database Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cryptographic key management strategies are inadequate in protecting keys from malicious administrators, as they often require significant infrastructure for secure storage and key recovery, which can be costly and difficult to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A system that generates a user-token by encrypting a user-key with a user-secret, allowing users to decrypt and manage their own keys, and optionally involves a client or external security module for encryption and decryption, reducing the need for extensive infrastructure by keeping the user-secret secure and leveraging existing frameworks for key recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cryptographic keys are stored persistently on the server to enable encryption/decryption operations, then data protection capability is improved, but security against malicious administrators deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cryptographic key from the server's persistent storage and places it in the user's control. The server stores only an encrypted version of the key (encrypted with the user's public key), while the actual key material is held by the user through a token mechanism. This extraction eliminates the possibility of malicious administrators accessing the key while maintaining the server's ability to perform encryption operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a token as an intermediary between the user and the cryptographic key. The token contains the key material encrypted with the user's public key, allowing the server to verify and use the key without storing it persistently. This intermediary mechanism enables secure key management without requiring the server to maintain direct access to the key material.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If users protect cryptographic keys themselves to prevent key theft, then key security is improved, but infrastructure complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by having users manage their own cryptographic keys through a simplified token-based mechanism. Users receive a token containing their key material encrypted with their public key, and they can decrypt and use the key as needed. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex key management infrastructure while maintaining strong security, as users control their own keys without requiring extensive administrative overhead.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If users manage their own cryptographic keys to enhance security, then key protection is improved, but key recovery difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-encrypting the key material with the user's public key when creating the token. This allows the server to verify the user's identity and provide the key material in an encrypted form that the user can decrypt. The preliminary encryption action simplifies key recovery processes while maintaining security, as the user can access their key material through the token without requiring complex recovery procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for managing keys. During operation, the system receives a request from a user at a database to encrypt/decrypt data at the database. In response to this request, the system sends a user-token to the user, wherein the user-token includes a user-key encrypted with a user-secret thereby enabling the user to decrypt the user-key with the user-secret. Next, the system receives the decrypted user-key from the user. The system then uses the user-key to encrypt/decrypt the data at the database. Finally, the system deletes the user-key at the database.