Virtual Volume Storage Encryption via Nested Directory Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for protecting sensitive information on external storage devices face challenges when the virtual volume occupies all available storage space, requiring content to be stored elsewhere and increasing security risks during duplication.
Innovation Solution
Creating a virtual volume on the storage device and replicating its directory structure, allowing information objects to be transferred and deleted to extend the virtual volume's size, ensuring all content is stored within it while maintaining security by controlling access through a file system filter driver and virtual volume driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a virtual volume is created to occupy all available storage space on a storage device, then information security is improved through encryption, but existing content must first be stored elsewhere which increases security risks during duplication
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is divided into two distinct sections: an encrypted virtual volume section and an unencrypted section for temporary storage. This segmentation allows sensitive information to be encrypted and stored in the virtual volume while non-sensitive temporary storage remains outside the encrypted area, eliminating the need to duplicate sensitive data and thus reducing security risks during the transition process.
2Reliability
If a virtual volume is created to occupy all available storage space on a storage device, then information security is improved through encryption, but content already stored on the device must first be stored elsewhere which requires additional storage capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual volume is implemented as a nested structure within the existing storage device, where the encrypted virtual volume section is contained within the overall storage device structure. This nesting approach allows the virtual volume to occupy and utilize the existing storage capacity of the device without requiring external secondary storage, as the encryption and virtualization layers are embedded within the device's own architecture.
3Reliability
If a virtual volume is created to occupy all available storage space on a storage device, then encryption enforcement is improved, but the process of moving information objects into the virtual volume requires continuous monitoring and management
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic detection and migration mechanisms where the virtual volume driver continuously monitors the storage device for unencrypted information objects and automatically migrates them into the encrypted virtual volume. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual intervention or complex external management systems, as the encryption enforcement process is autonomously handled by the integrated driver and filter components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system apparatus and method for protecting information on a storage device. Embodiments of the invention may create a virtual volume on a storage device. Embodiments of the invention may further transfer information to the virtual volume, remove information stored outside the virtual volume and extend the size of the virtual volume. Other embodiments are described and claimed.