U.S. patent number RE41,546 [Application Number 11/797,367] was granted by the patent office on 2010-08-17 for method and system for managing security tiers.
Invention is credited to Klimenty Vainstein.
United States Patent |
RE41,546 |
Vainstein |
August 17, 2010 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Method and system for managing security tiers
Abstract
Techniques for reorganizing security levels without implicating
accessibility to secured files classified in accordance to one of
the security levels are disclosed. In a case of adding a new
security level, the controllability or restrictiveness of the new
security level is determined with respect to the most restrictive
security level or the least security level in a set of existing
security levels. A set of proper security parameters are then
generated for the new security level and subsequently the existing
security levels are reorganized to accommodate the new security
level. In a case of removing a security level from the existing
security levels, the security parameters for the security level to
be deleted are either folded up or down to an immediate next
security level, depending on implementation. As a result, the
security parameters for the immediate next security level are
updated to include those for the security level to be deleted such
that the secured files classified at the security level to be
deleted can still be accessed by those with proper clearance
levels.
Inventors: |
Vainstein; Klimenty (San
Francisco, CA) |
Family
ID: |
46150502 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/797,367 |
Filed: |
May 2, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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10076254 |
Feb 12, 2002 |
7260555 |
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60339634 |
Dec 12, 2001 |
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Reissue of: |
10445657 |
May 27, 2003 |
06889210 |
May 3, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/57; 705/50;
380/200; 705/51; 705/75; 705/58; 713/166; 705/52; 705/64; 705/71;
380/202; 380/201; 380/228 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
21/6227 (20130101); H04L 63/12 (20130101); H04L
67/42 (20130101); H04L 63/08 (20130101); H04L
63/105 (20130101); G06F 21/6209 (20130101); H04L
63/04 (20130101); G06F 2221/2113 (20130101); G06F
2221/2137 (20130101); G06F 2221/2111 (20130101); G06F
2221/2141 (20130101); H04L 63/102 (20130101); G06F
2221/2107 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
21/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;705/57,50,51,52,58,64,71 ;380/200,201,202,228
;713/166,200,201,202 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
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Primary Examiner: Elisca; Pierre E
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein &
Fox PLLC
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 10/076,254, filed Feb. 12, 2002, that
claims the benefits of U.S. provisional application No. 60/339,634
filed Dec. 12, 2001. The application is also related to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/159,537 and entitled "Method and Apparatus
for Securing Digital Assets", which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
Claims
I claim:
1. .[.In a system for providing restrictive access to contents in
secured files, each of the secured files classified in accordance
with one of N security levels, a.]. .Iadd.A .Iaddend.method for
reorganizing .[.the.]. N security levels without implicating
accessibilities to .[.the.]. secured files, .Iadd.each of the
secured files classified in accordance with one of the N security
levels, .Iaddend.the method comprising: determining.Iadd., using a
computing device, .Iaddend.a new security level with respect to the
N security levels, wherein a 1st security level is most restrictive
and an Nth security level is least restrictive .[.in.]. .Iadd.among
.Iaddend.the N security levels; generating.Iadd., using the
computing device, .Iaddend.security parameters accordingly for the
new security level, the new security level being ith less
restrictive with respect to the 1st security level; and
mapping.Iadd., using the computing device, an .Iaddend.ith security
level in the N security levels to .Iadd.an .Iaddend.(i+1)th
security level in the N security levels to accommodate the new
security level such that there are .[.now.]. (N+1) security levels
in the system, wherein each of the secured files includes an
encrypted data portion and a security portion that controls
restrictive access to the encrypted data portion, the security
portion including a file key encrypted by at least a first key and
a second key and further protected by a set of rules, and wherein
both of the first key and the second key must be obtained by a user
whose access privilege is satisfied by the rules before the
contents of the each of the secured files can be accessed.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the security parameters
include.[.s.]. at least a clearance key and one or more of the
parameters pertain to a designated group of users authorized to
access the secured files classified at the new security level.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the clearance key is associated
with the designated group of users, .Iadd.and .Iaddend.together
with a user key associated with each of the users, .Iadd.allows
access to .Iaddend.files secured at the ith security level .[.can
now be accessed.]. .
4. The method of claim 2, wherein, .[.when.]. .Iadd.if .Iaddend.a
user authorized to access secured files classified at the new
security level .[.logins.]. .Iadd.logs .Iaddend.into the system,
the user is granted the clearance key, together with a user key
.[.authorized.]. .Iadd.authorizing .Iaddend.the user to access the
secured files, .[.those.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.secured files
classified at the new security level can .[.now.]. be
access.Iadd.ed .Iaddend.by the user.[.s.]. .
5. The method of claim 4, wherein.[.,.]. the clearance key is a
private key in a pair of a public key and the private key,
.[.those.]. .Iadd.and the .Iaddend.secured files are classified at
the new security .Iadd.level .Iaddend.with the public key.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein, if the user is authorized
.[.at.]. .Iadd.to access the .Iaddend.ith security level in the
.[.original.]. N security levels, the user is .[.now.]. granted a
.Iadd.second .Iaddend.user key and a .Iadd.second
.Iaddend.clearance key such that the contents in the secured files
classified at the (i+1)th security level and below can be .[.now.].
accessed by the user.
7. The method of claim .[.6.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein the first
key determines if the user is authorized to access the secured
files classified at one of the N security levels or one of the
(N+1) security levels, and the second key is in accordance with the
one of the N security levels or the one of the (N+1) security
levels.
8. .[.In a system for providing restrictive access to contents in
secured files, at least some of the secured files classified in
accordance with one of N security levels, a.]. .Iadd.A
.Iaddend.method for reorganizing .[.the.]. N security levels
without implicating accessibilities to .[.the.]. secured files,
.Iadd.at least some of the secured files classified in accordance
with one of the N security levels, .Iaddend.the method comprising:
upon receiving a request to remove an ith security level out of the
N security levels, determining.Iadd., using a computing device,
.Iaddend.if an (i-1)th security level is a 1st security level or if
an (i+1)th security level is an Nth security level.[.s.]. , wherein
the 1st security level is most restrictive and the Nth security
level is least restrictive .[.in.]. .Iadd.among .Iaddend.the N
security levels; .[.when.]. .Iadd.if .Iaddend.the (i-1)th security
level is not the 1st security level and the (i+1)th security level
is not the Nth security level.[.s.]. , merging.Iadd., using the
computing device, .Iaddend.the ith security level with either the
(i-1)th security level or the (i+1)th security level such that
there are .[.now.]. (N-1) security levels in the system, wherein
each of the secured files includes an encrypted data portion and a
security portion that controls restrictive access to the encrypted
data portion, the security portion including a file key encrypted
by at least a first key and a second key and further protected by a
set of rules, and wherein both of the first key and the second key
must be obtained by a user whose access privilege is satisfied by
the rules before the contents of .[.the.]. each of the secured
files can be accessed.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein users authorized to access
secured files classified at the ith security level can .[.now.].
access secured files classified at the (i-1)th security level if
the ith security level .[.is.]. .Iadd.has been .Iaddend.merged with
the (i-1)th security level.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein users authorized to access
secured files classified at the ith security level can .[.now.].
access secured files classified at the (i+1)th security level if
the ith security level .[.is.]. .Iadd.has been .Iaddend.merged with
the (i+1)th security level.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein at least two keys are needed to
access secured files classified at the ith security level,
.Iadd.and .Iaddend.after the ith security level .[.is.]. .Iadd.has
been .Iaddend.merged with the (i-1)th or (i+1)th security level,
the at lest two keys are incorporated into the (i-1)th or (i+1)th
security level .[.as.]. such .Iadd.that .Iaddend.users authorized
to access the secured files classified at the ith security level
can .[.still.]. access the secured files.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein.[., at the same time,.]. the
users can access secured files classified at the (i-1)th or (i+1)th
security level.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least two keys include a
first key associated with a designated group of users and a second
key being a clearance key in accordance with the ith security
level.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein, .[.when.]. .Iadd.if
.Iaddend.the user .[.logins.]. .Iadd.logs .Iaddend.into the system,
the user is granted the at least two keys.
15. The method of claim 8, further comprising: .[.when.]. .Iadd.if
.Iaddend.the (i-1)th security level is the 1st security level,
denying the request to remove the ith security level out of the N
security levels; or always folding down the ith security level with
(i-1)th security level.
16. The method of claim 8 further comprising: .[.when.]. .Iadd.if
.Iaddend.the (i-1)th security level is the N security level,
denying the request to remove the ith security level out of the N
security levels; or always folding up the ith security level with
(i-1)th security level.
17. .[.In a.]. .Iadd.A .Iaddend.system for providing restrictive
access to contents in secured files, each of the secured files
classified in accordance with one of N security levels, the system
comprising: a first machine loaded with a software module to
reorganize the N security levels without implicating
accessibilities to the secured files, wherein the 1st security
level is most restrictive and the Nth security level is least
restrictive in the N security levels, .[.when.]. .Iadd.and wherein,
if .Iaddend.the software module is executed, the first machine
performs operations of: if a request .[.of.]. .Iadd.for
.Iaddend.deleting an ith security level out of the N security
levels is received, determining if an (i-1)th security level is a 1
st security level or if an (i+1)th security level is an Nth
security level.[.s.]. , wherein the 1st security level is most
restrictive and the Nth security level is least restrictive in the
N security levels; .Iadd.and .Iaddend. .[.when.]. .Iadd.if
.Iaddend.the (i-1)th security level is not the 1st security level
and the (i+1)th security level is not the Nth security level.[.s.].
, merging the ith security level with either the (i-1)th security
level or the (i+1)th security level such that there are .[.now.].
(N-1) security levels in the system; and if a request of adding a
new security level into the N security is received, determining a
new security level with respect to the N security levels, wherein a
1 st security level is most restrictive and an Nth security level
is least restrictive in the N security levels; generating security
parameters accordingly for the new security level, the new security
level being ith less restrictive with respect to the 1st security
level; .Iadd.and .Iaddend. mapping .Iadd.an .Iaddend.ith security
level in the N security levels to .Iadd.an .Iaddend.(i+1)th
security level in the N security levels to accommodate the new
security level such that there are .[.now.]. (N+1) security levels
in the system; and a second machine, coupled to the first machine
over a network, associated with a user that is granted with at
least two keys to access one of the secured files classified at one
of the N security levels, wherein each of the secured files
includes an encrypted data portion and a security portion that
controls restrictive access to the encrypted data portion, the
security portion including a file key encrypted by at least a first
key and a second key and further protected by a set of rules, and
wherein both of the first key and the second key must be obtained
by a user whose access privilege is satisfied by the rules before
the contents of the each of the secured files can be accessed.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the two keys granted to
the user is a clearance key in accordance with the one of the N
security levels.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the two keys granted to the
user are folded to either the (i-1)th security level or the (i+1)th
security level, .[.when.]. .Iadd.if .Iaddend.the user is authorized
to access secured files classified at the ith security level.
.Iadd.20. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored
thereon instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause
the computing device to perform a method comprising: determining a
new security level with respect to the N security levels, wherein a
1st security level is most restrictive and an Nth security level is
least restrictive among the N security levels; generating security
parameters accordingly for the new security level, the new security
level being ith less restrictive with respect to the 1st security
level; and mapping an ith security level in the N security levels
to an (i+1)th security level in the N security levels to
accommodate the new security level such that there are (N+1)
security levels in the system, wherein each of the secured files
includes an encrypted data portion and a security portion that
controls restrictive access to the encrypted data portion, the
security portion including a file key encrypted by at least a first
key and a second key and further protected by a set of rules, and
wherein both of the first key and the second key must be obtained
by a user whose access privilege is satisfied by the rules before
the contents of the each of the secured files can be
accessed..Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
20, wherein the security parameters include at least a clearance
key and one or more of the parameters pertain to a designated group
of users authorized to access the secured files classified at the
new security level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.22. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
21, wherein the clearance key is associated with the designated
group of users, and together with a user key associated with each
of the users, allows access to files secured at the ith security
level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
21, wherein, if a user authorized to access secured files
classified at the new security level logs into the system, the user
is granted the clearance key, together with a user key authorizing
the user to access the secured files, and secured files classified
at the new security level can be accessed by the user..Iaddend.
.Iadd.24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
23, wherein the clearance key is a private key in a pair of a
public key and the private key, and the secured files are
classified at the new security level with the public
key..Iaddend.
.Iadd.25. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
23, wherein, if the user is authorized to access the ith security
level in the N security levels, the user is granted a second user
key and a second clearance key such that the contents in the
secured files classified at the (i+1)th security level and below
can be accessed by the user..Iaddend.
.Iadd.26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
25, wherein the first key determines if the user is authorized to
access the secured files classified at one of the N security levels
or one of the (N+1) security levels, and the second key is in
accordance with the one of the N security levels or the one of the
(N+1) security levels..Iaddend.
.Iadd.27. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having stored
thereon instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause
the computing device to perform a method comprising: upon receiving
a request to remove an ith security level out of the N security
levels, determining if an (i-1)th security level is a 1st security
level or if an (i+1)th security level is an Nth security level,
wherein the 1st security level is most restrictive and the Nth
security level is least restrictive among the N security levels; if
the (i-1)th security level is not the 1st security level and the
(i+1)th security level is not the Nth security level, merging the
ith security level with either the (i-1)th security level or the
(i+1)th security level such that there are (N-1) security levels in
the system, wherein each of the secured files includes an encrypted
data portion and a security portion that controls restrictive
access to the encrypted data portion, the security portion
including a file key encrypted by at least a first key and a second
key and further protected by a set of rules, and wherein both of
the first key and the second key must be obtained by a user whose
access privilege is satisfied by the rules before the contents of
each of the secured files can be accessed..Iaddend.
.Iadd.28. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
27, wherein users authorized to access secured files classified at
the ith security level can access secured files classified at the
(i-1)th security level if the ith security level has been merged
with the (i-1)th security level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.29. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
27, wherein users authorized to access secured files classified at
the ith security level can access secured files classified at the
(i+1)th security level if the ith security level has been merged
with the (i+1)th security level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.30. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
27, wherein at least two keys are needed to access secured files
classified at the ith security level, and after the ith security
level has been merged with the (i-1)th or (i+1)th security level,
the at lest two keys are incorporated into the (i-1)th or (i+1)th
security level such that users authorized to access the secured
files classified at the ith security level can access the secured
files..Iaddend.
.Iadd.31. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
30, wherein the users can access secured files classified at the
(i-1)th or (i+1)th security level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.32. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
30, wherein the at least two keys include a first key associated
with a designated group of users and a second key being a clearance
key in accordance with the ith security level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.33. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
32, wherein, if the user logs into the system, the user is granted
the at least two keys..Iaddend.
.Iadd.34. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
27, further comprising computer code for: if the (i-1)th security
level is the 1st security level, denying the request to remove the
ith security level out of the N security levels; or always folding
down the ith security level with (i-1)th security
level..Iaddend.
.Iadd.35. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim
27 further comprising computer code for: if the (i-1)th security
level is the N security level, denying the request to remove the
ith security level out of the N security levels; or always folding
up the ith security level with (i-1)th security level..Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the area of protecting data in an
enterprise environment, and more particularly, relates to a method
and system for managing security tiers or levels without
implicating accessibilities to secured files classified according
to a security level.
2. Description of Related Art
The Internet is the fastest growing telecommunications medium in
history. This growth and the easy access it affords have
significantly enhanced the opportunity to use advanced information
technology for both the public and private sectors. It provides
unprecedented opportunities for interaction and data sharing among
businesses and individuals. However, the advantages provided by the
Internet come with a significantly greater element of risk to the
confidentiality and integrity of information. The Internet is a
widely open, public and international network of interconnected
computers and electronic devices. Without proper security means, an
unauthorized person or machine may intercept any information
traveling across the Internet and even get access to proprietary
information stored in computers that interconnect to the Internet,
but are otherwise generally inaccessible by the public.
There are many efforts in progress aimed at protecting proprietary
information traveling across the Internet and controlling access to
computers carrying the proprietary information. Cryptography allows
people to carry over the confidence found in the physical world to
the electronic world, thus allowing people to do business
electronically without worries of deceit and deception. Every day
hundreds of thousands of people interact electronically, whether it
is through e-mail, e-commerce (business conducted over the
Internet), ATM machines, or cellular phones. The perpetual increase
of information transmitted electronically has lead to an increase
reliance on cryptography.
One of the ongoing efforts in protecting the proprietary
information traveling across the Internet is to use one or more
cryptographic techniques to secure a private communication session
between two communicating computers on the Internet. The
cryptographic techniques provides a way to transmit information
across an insecure communication channel without disclosing the
contents of the information to anyone eavesdropping on the
communication channel. Using an encryption process in a
cryptographic technique, one party can protect the contents of the
data in transit from access by an unauthorized third party yet the
intended party can read the data using a corresponding decryption
process.
A firewall is another security measure that protects the resources
of a private network from users of other networks. However, it has
been reported that many unauthorized accesses to proprietary
information occur from the inside, as opposed to from the outside.
An example of someone gaining unauthorized access from the inside
is when restricted or proprietary information is accessed by
someone within an organization who is not supposed to do so. Due to
the open nature of the Internet, contractual information, customer
data, executive communications, product specifications, and a host
of other confidential and proprietary intellectual property,
remains available and vulnerable to improper access and usage by
unauthorized users within or outside a supposedly protected
perimeter.
In fact, many businesses and organizations have been looking for
effective ways to protect their proprietary information. Typically,
businesses and organizations have deployed firewalls, Virtual
Private Networks (VPNs), and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to
provide protection. Unfortunately, these various security means
have been proven insufficient to reliably protect proprietary
information residing on private networks. For example, depending on
passwords to access sensitive documents from within often causes
security breaches when the password of a few characters long is
leaked or detected. Therefore, there is a need to provide more
effective ways to secure and protect digital assets at all
times.
When a security system is employed to secure files, it is sometimes
desirable to classify the secured files according to a security
level, for example, "top secret", "secret" or "confidential". When
there is a need to add or delete additional security levels, the
secured files originally classified should be still accessible.
Thus there is a need for solutions that can manage the security
levels dynamically without implicating accessibility to the secured
files.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This section is for the purpose of summarizing some aspects of the
present invention and to briefly introduce some preferred
embodiments. Simplifications or omissions in this section as well
as in the abstract may be made to avoid obscuring the purpose
therefor. Such simplifications or omissions are not intended to
limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is related to processes, systems,
architectures and software products for providing pervasive
security to digital assets at all times and is particularly
suitable in an inter/intra enterprise environment. In general,
pervasive security means that digital assets are secured at all
times and can only be accessed by authenticated users with
appropriate access rights or privileges, and proper security
clearance in some cases, wherein the digital assets may include,
but not be limited to, various types of documents, multimedia
files, data, executable code, images and texts. According to one
aspect of the present invention, secured files are in a secured
form that only those with granted access rights can access. Even
with the proper access privilege, when a secured file is
classified, at least a security clearance key is needed to ensure
those who have the right security clearance can ultimately access
the contents in the classified secured file.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a new security
level is to be inserted into a set of existing security levels. For
example, a security level "secret" is added between the existing
security levels "top secret" and "confidential", resulting in a new
set of security levels, "top secret", "secret" and "confidential".
Without implicating the accessibility to secured files classified
at one of the existing security levels, the controllability or
restrictiveness of the new security level is determined with
respect to the most restrictive security level or the least
security level in the existing security levels. A set of proper
security parameters are generated for the new security level and
subsequently the existing security levels are mapped to accommodate
the new security level.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a security
level is removed from a set of existing security levels. For
example, a security level "secret" is removed from the existing
security levels "top secret", "secret" and "confidential",
resulting in a new set of security levels including only "top
secret" and "confidential". Without implicating the accessibility
to secured files classified at one of the existing security levels,
the security parameters for the security level to be deleted are
either folded up or down to an immediate next security level,
depending on implementation. As a result, the security parameters
for the immediate next security level are augmented to include
those for the security level to be deleted such that the secured
files classified at the security level to be deleted can still be
accessed by those with proper clearance levels.
Depending on implementation and application, the present invention
may be implemented in software, hardware or both in combination,
and employed in a client machine or a server machine. According to
one embodiment, the present invention is implemented in an
executable form loaded in a computing device and activated when the
security tiers or levels are changed to provide particular needs of
an organization or organizations.
The present invention can be implemented as a method, a system, a
process, software medium or other form, each yielding one or more
of the following features, benefits and advantages. One of the
features, benefits and advantages is the management mechanism of
security levels in a security system, the mechanism provides
flexibility in reorganizing security levels without implicating
accessibility to secured files originally classified. Another one
of the features, benefits and advantages is that secured files
originally classified at a security level to be deleted can still
be accessed by properly folding the security level to a next
immediate security level.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent upon examining the following detailed
description of an embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the
attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present
invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings
where:
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of securing a created document according to
one exemplary secured file form used in the present invention;
FIG. 2A shows a diagram of what is referred to herein as a
two-pronged access scheme according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 2B shows a flowchart of a process for granting a proper
security clearance level (i.e., a clearance key) according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2C shows a diagram of generating a clearance key according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2D shows a diagram of generating a clearance key according to
another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3A illustrates a set of security levels in a security system
employed in an enterprise, a new security level being inserted to
the existing security level;
FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C each illustrate a case in which a security
level is folded into another security level;
FIG. 4A shows a flowchart or process of inserting a new security
level into N security levels according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 4B shows a flowchart or process of deleting a security level
out of N security levels according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 4C shows a flowchart or process of deleting a security level
out of N security levels according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 5A shows an exemplary implementation of dropping an ith level
out of N existing level by folding the ith level to (i--i)th level
and may be understood in conjunction with FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C;
FIG. 5B shows a table listing identifiers, levels, clearance keys
and corresponding literal meanings according to one embodiment;
and
FIG. 5C shows a clearance mapping table being entered and
updated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention pertains to a process, a system, a method and
a software product for securing electronic data or digital assets.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a new security
level is to be inserted into a set of existing security levels.
Without implicating the accessibility to secured files classified
at one of the existing security levels, the controllability or
restrictiveness of the new security level is determined with
respect to the most restrictive security level or the least
security level in the existing security levels. A set of proper
security parameters are generated for the new security level and
subsequently the existing security levels are mapped to accommodate
the new security level. According to another aspect of the present
invention, a security level is removed from a set of existing
security levels. The security parameters for the security level to
be deleted are either folded up or down to an immediate next
security level, depending on implementation. As a result, the
security parameters for the immediate next security level are
augmented to include those for the security level to be deleted
such that the secured files classified at the security level to be
deleted can still be accessed by those with proper clearance
levels.
There are numerous advantages, benefits, and features in the
present invention. One of them is the mechanism contemplated herein
capable of providing pervasive security to digital assets sought to
be protected at all times. Another one is that the digital assets
are presented in such a way that only those with proper access
privilege as well as sufficient security clearance level can access
information in the digital assets. Other advantages, benefits, and
features in the present invention can be readily appreciated by
those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the
invention provided herein.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set
forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present
invention. However, it will become obvious to those skilled in the
art that the present invention may be practiced without these
specific details. The description and representation herein are the
common means used by those experienced or skilled in the art to
most effectively convey the substance of their work to others
skilled in the art. In other instances, well-known methods,
procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in
detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present
invention.
Reference herein to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that
a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in
connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one
embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one
embodiment" in various places in the specification are not
necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate
or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments.
Further, the order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams
representing one or more embodiments of the invention do not
inherently indicate any particular order nor imply any limitations
in the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention are discussed herein with
reference to FIGS. 1-4B. However, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with
respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the
invention extends beyond these limited embodiments.
Generally, a content created by a creator for the purpose of an
entity is an intellectual property belonging to the creator or the
entity. In an enterprise, any kind of information or intellectual
property can be content, though it is commonly referred to as
"information" instead of "content". In either case, content or
information is independent of its format, it may be in a printout
or an electronic document. As used herein, content or information
exists in a type of electronic data that is also referred to as a
digital asset. A representation of the electronic data may include,
but not be limited to, various types of documents, multimedia
files, streaming data, dynamic or static data, executable code,
images and texts.
To prevent contents in electronic data from an unauthorized access,
the electronic data is typically stored in a form that is as close
to impossible as possible to read without a priori knowledge. Its
purpose is to ensure privacy by keeping the content hidden from
anyone for whom it is not intended, even those who have access to
the electronic data. Example of a priori knowledge may include, but
not be limited to, a password, a secret phase, biometric
information or one or more keys.
FIG. 1 shows an illustration diagram of securing a created document
100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. One of
the purposes of creating a secured file 108 is to ensure that the
contents in the document 100 can be only accessed by or revealed to
an authorized user with proper access privilege. As used herein,
the user may mean a human user, a software agent, a group of users
or a member thereof, a device and/or application(s). Besides a
human user who needs to access a secured document, a software
application or agent sometimes needs to access the secured document
in order to proceed forward. Accordingly, unless specifically
stated, the "user" as used herein does not necessarily pertain to a
human being.
After the document 100 is created, edited or opened with an
application or authoring tool (e.g., Microsoft WORD), upon an
activation of a command, such as "Save," "Save As" or "Close", or
automatic saving invoked by an operating system, the application
itself, or an approved application, the created document 100 is
caused to undergo a securing process 101. The securing process 101
starts with an encryption process 102, namely the document 100 that
has been created or is being written into a store is encrypted by a
cipher (e.g., an encryption process) with a file key (i.e., a
cipher key). In other words, the encrypted data portion 112 could
not be opened without the file key. For the purpose of controlling
the access to the contents in the document 100 or the resultant
secured file 108, the file key or keys may be the same or different
keys for encryption and decryption and are included as part of
security information contained in or pointed to by a header 106.
The file key or keys, once obtained, can be used to decrypt the
encrypted data portion 112 to reveal the contents therein.
To ensure that only authorized users or members of an authorized
group can access the secured file 108, a set of access rules 104
(an example is shown in the figure) for the document 100 is
received or created and associated with the header 106. In general,
the access rules 104 determine or regulate who and/or how the
document 100, once secured, can be accessed. In some cases, the
access rules 104 also determine or regulate when or where the
document 100 can be accessed. In addition, security clearance
information 107 is added to the header 106 if the secured file 108
is classified. In general, the security clearance information 107
is used to determine a level of access privilege or security level
of a user who is attempting to access the contents in the secured
file 108. For example, a secured file may be classified as "Top
secret", "Secret", "Confidential", and "Unclassified".
According to one embodiment, the security clearance information 107
includes another layer of encryption of the file key with another
key referred to herein as a clearance key. An authorized user must
have a clearance key of proper security level in addition to an
authenticated user key and proper access privilege to retrieve the
file key. As used herein, a user key or a group key is a cipher key
assigned to an authenticated user and may be used to access a
secured file or secure a file, or create a secured file. The detail
of obtaining such a user key upon a user being authenticated is
provided in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/074,804.
According to another embodiment, the security clearance information
107 includes a set of special access rules to guard the file key.
The retrieval of the file key requires that the user passes an
access rule measurement. Since access privilege of a user may be
controlled via one or more system parameters (e.g., a policy), the
access rule measurement can determine if the user has sufficient
access privilege to retrieve the file key in conjunction with the
corresponding user key. With the detailed description to follow,
those skilled in the art can appreciate that other forms of the
security clearance information 107 may be possible. Unless
otherwise specified, the following description is based on the
security clearance information 107 being another layer of
encryption with one or more clearance keys.
In accordance with the security clearance information 107, a user
may be assigned a hierarchical security clearance level based on,
perhaps, a level of trust assigned to the user. A level of trust
implies that one user may be more trusted than another and hence
the more trusted user may access more classified files. Depending
on implementation, a level of trust may be based on job
responsibility of the user or a role of the user in a project or an
organization background checks, psychological profiles, or length
of service, etc. In any case, a level of trust assigned to the user
augments additional aspect to the access privilege of the user such
that the user must have proper security clearance to access a
classified secured file even if the user is permitted by the access
rules to access the file.
As will be further described in detail below, unless the level of
security clearance of the user permits, a secured classified file
(i.e., the file that is both secured and classified) may not be
accessed even if the user has an authenticated user (or group) key
and permitted by the access rules in the secured classified file.
In one embodiment, the level of security clearance of the user is
determined by one or more clearance keys assigned thereto. In
general, a clearance key permits a user to access a secured file
classified as "top secret", the same clearance key may permit the
user to access all secured files classified less secure, such as
"secret" or "confidential", where it has been assumed that the user
has proper access privilege to be granted by the access rules in
the file. In one embodiment, a clearance key is further secured by
means of secondary authentication, such as re-login, biometric
information verification and a second password. In other words, a
clearance key may not be automatically released to or activated for
a user upon an authenticated login, unless the user provides
additional information.
In general, a header is a file structure, preferably small in size,
and includes, or perhaps links to, security information about a
resultant secured document. Depending on an exact implementation,
the security information can be entirely included in a header or
pointed to by a pointer that is included in the header. According
to one embodiment, the access rules 104, as part of the security
information, are included in the header 106. The security
information further includes the file key and/or one or more
clearance keys, in some cases, an off-line access permit (e.g. in
the access rules) should such access be requested by an authorized
user. The security information is then encrypted by a cipher (i.e.,
an en/decryption scheme) with a user key associated with an
authorized user to produce encrypted security information 110. The
encrypted header 106, if no other information is added thereto, is
attached to or integrated with the encrypted data portion 112 to
generate the resultant secured file 108. In a preferred embodiment,
the header is placed at the beginning of the encrypted document
(data portion) to facilitate an early detection of the secured
nature of a secured file. One of the advantages of such placement
is to enable an access application (i.e., an authoring or viewing
tool) to immediately activate a document securing module (to be
described where it deems appropriate) to decrypt the header if
permitted. Nevertheless, there is no restriction as to where the
encrypted header 106 is integrated with the encrypted data portion
112.
It is understood that a cipher may be implemented based on one of
many available encryption/decryption schemes. Encryption and
decryption generally require the use of some secret information,
referred to as a key. For some encryption mechanisms, the same key
is used for both encryption and decryption; for other mechanisms,
the keys used for encryption and decryption are different. In any
case, data can be encrypted with a key according to a predetermined
cipher (i.e., encryption/decryption) scheme. Examples of such
schemes may include, but not be limited to, Data Encryption
Standard algorithm (DES), Blowfish block cipher and Twofish cipher.
Therefore, the operations of the present invention are not limited
to a choice of those commonly-used encryption/decryption schemes.
Any cipher scheme that is effective and reliable may be used.
Hence, the details of a particular scheme are not further discussed
herein so as to avoid obscuring aspects of the present
invention.
In essence, the secured document 108 includes two parts, the
encrypted data portion 112 (i.e., encrypted version of the document
itself) and the header 110 that may point to or include security
information for the secured document 108. To access the contents in
the encrypted data portion 112, one needs to obtain the file key to
decrypt the encrypted data portion 112. To obtain the file key, one
needs to be authenticated to get a user or group key and pass an
access test in which at least the access rules in the security
information are measured against the user's access privilege (i.e.,
access rights). If the secured file is classified, it further
requires a security level clearance on the user. In general, the
security clearance level of the user must be high enough before the
file key can be retrieved. Alternatively, part of the access rules
may be left non-encrypted for users authorized or non-authorized
alike to view embedded access permissions of a secured file in a
display application or markup language interpreter (e.g., a
browser).
FIG. 2A shows a diagram 200 of what is referred to herein as a
two-pronged access scheme according to one embodiment of the
present invention. To access a secured file 201, a user needs to
have access privilege based on a condition of "need to know" 202
that is to be measured against by the access rules 204 embedded in
the secured file 201. If the secured file 201 is classified, the
user must also have a higher security clearance level 206 that is
measured against by the security clearance information 206 (e.g.,
one or more clearance keys. In other words, there are at least two
key holes 210 that must be "inserted" with two proper keys before
the secured classified file can be accessed.
FIG. 2B shows a flowchart 220 of process for granting a proper
security clearance level (i.e., a clearance key) according to one
embodiment of the present invention. The process 220 can be
initiated with a request for a clearance key. Depending on
implementation, the process 220 may be implemented in a machine
(e.g., a central server, a local server or a client machine) that
provides access control management to all secured files, perhaps,
in an inter/intra enterprise environment, or a combination of a
local client machine used by users and the machine.
At 222, the process 220 awaits a request for a clearance key. It is
described that a secured file can be classified or unclassified.
When it is determined that a user needs to access a secured file
that is classified at a security level, such request is provided to
activate the process 220. In general, the request pertains to a
specific user or some members in a group. At 224, a corresponding
account for the user is retrieved, provided there is the account
for the user. If the account is not available, then the account
shall be opened accordingly. Alternatively, the process 220 may be
part of the process of opening an appropriate account for a user
who has the need-to-know basis to access secured files at certain
security or confidential level(s). Depending on implementation, the
corresponding account information may include a username or
identifier, membership information, designated access privilege,
and a corresponding user key (which sometimes is a pair of a
private key and a public key). At 226, a security level for the
user is determined, which is usually done by the necessity. For
example, an executive of an enterprise may be assigned the highest
security clearance level and a front desk receptionist may be
assigned the lowest security clearance level. Once the security
level is determined, a clearance key is generated at 228.
Referring now to FIG. 2C, there is shown a diagram 240 of
generating a clearance key according to one embodiment of the
present invention. A key generator 244 receives one or more
parameters 242 controlling the security level determined at 226 of
FIG. 2B to generate a sequence of alpha-numeric characters or
binary numbers as a key. Whether using a secret-key cryptosystem or
a public-key cryptosystem, one needs a good source of random
numbers for key generation. The main features of a good source are
that it produces numbers that are unknown and unpredictable by
potential adversaries. There are many ways to generate such
numbers, for example, random numbers can be obtained from a
physical process. Another approach is to use a pseudo-random number
generator fed by a random seed. In any case, depending on the input
242, the generator 244 is configured to generate a clearance key of
proper security level. In one embodiment, the key generator 244
generates keys 246 of different lengths or forms, each of the keys
246 corresponds to a security level, such as level 1 (highest
security), level 2, . . . , level N (lowest security). In another
embodiment, each of the keys 246 generated by the key generator 244
is embedded with a signature signifying a security level. Other
methods of specifying a security level of a clearance key are
possible. Although it is possible to implement in such a way that
each clearance key with a certain security level can only access
secured files classified in the same security level, it is
preferable to permit a clearance key with a higher security level
to access secured files classified in the lower security levels. In
other words, a clearance key in level 1 (i.e., the highest security
level primarily designated to secured files classified as "top
secret") can be used to access all secured classified files 248,
while a clearance key in level 2 can be used to access all secured
classified files 248 except for those classified as "top secret".
Likewise, a clearance key in level N can be only used to access
secured files in security level N. One of the advantages for such
arrangement is that a user needs only to have one clearance key, if
the user has the need to access those secured classified files.
FIG. 2D shows a diagram of generating a clearance key according to
another embodiment of the present invention. The key generator 244
receives one or more parameters 242 controlling the security level
determined at 226 of FIG. 2B to generate a number of sets of
alphanumeric or binary numbers as a primary key 246 and auxiliary
keys 247. The primary key 246 is the one being requested, generated
in accordance with the determined security level and can be used to
facilitate the access to a secured file classified at a security or
confidentiality level. The auxiliary keys are those keys generated
to facilitate the access to secured files classified less than the
security or confidentiality level. As shown in the figure, it is
assumed that the primary key 246 is for accessing a secured file
classified at level 2. Accordingly, the auxiliary keys 247 can be
respectively used to access secured files classified level 3, level
4, . . . to level N, all less than level 2 in terms of security or
confidentiality. To facilitate the description of the present
invention, the following description is based on FIG. 2C and can be
readily applied to FIGS. 2D.
Returning to FIG. 2B, after a proper clearance key is generated at
228, the clearance key is associated with the account at 230 so
that the user will use the correct key to access a secured file
that requires a clearance key. The process 220 now awaits any call
for the clearance key at 232. Depending on implementation, the
clearance key may be stored locally or remotely and retrievlable
only when there is a need for it to access a classified secured
file. In some cases, the clearance key can only be retrievlable
when a user passes a secondary authentication means. For example, a
user is entitled to access certain secured files classified at
least at a security level. The clearance key associated with the
user may be configured to be protected by means of secondary
authentication, such as biometric information verification or a
second password, to increase security level of the clearance key.
When a non-secured classified file is accessed, the clearance key
is not needed and therefore will not be released to or activated
for the user. When a secured classified file is accessed, the
process 220 goes to 234, wherein the clearance key is released to
the user to facilitate the retrieval of the file key in the secured
file, provided the user has furnished necessary information or
passed secondary authentication if needed.
Clearance keys provide flexibilities for a security system to
control access by authorized users to secured files that are
classified accordingly. However, when levels of the security are
fixed, the flexibilities are limited. As one of the features in the
present invention, the levels of security can be added or adjusted
up or down in a security system without compromising the security
of the secured files that have been previously classified.
FIG. 3A illustrates security levels 302 in a security system
employed in an enterprise. In general, there are N levels of
security for secured files under the security system, where N is a
finite integer, each level requires a set of security parameters to
access secured files classified to the level or other levels below
this level. For example, a secured file SF is classified at
security level 2. To access the secured file, users in a designated
group G2 shall posses at least two keys, a user key (e.g., UK2) and
a clearance key (e.g., CK2) corresponding to the security level 2.
The designated group includes a user or users authorized to access
the secured files classified at this level or levels below this
level. The user key for each of the users, if there are more than
one users in the designated group, may not be necessary identical,
as one user may be from one user group and another user may be from
a different group. To facilitate the description of the present
invention, the access relationship may be expressed as: SF
.A-inverted. (group, security-level, CK), which means a secured and
classified file SF can be accessed with valid parameters of a
designated group, a security-level, a clearance key. In particular,
SF .A-inverted. (G2, level2, C<) means that users in a group
designated as G2 can access secured file classed at level 2 with a
clearance key CK2, provided that each of the users in G2 has a
valid user key. Alternatively, SF .A-inverted. (G2, level1, level2,
CK2) means that users in a group designated as G2 can access
secured files classified at level 1 or level 2 with a clearance key
CK2, provided that each of the users in G2 has a valid user key.
The first access relationship indicates that the secured file SF
can only be accessed by users in a group G2 authorized to access
secured files classified at the security level 2. The second access
relationship indicates that secured files classified at the
security level 2 or one level below the security level 2 can be
accessed by users authorized to access secured files classified at
the security level 2. Depending on implementation, either one of
the access relationships may be implemented.
For simplified illustration purpose, the first access relationship
is shown in the figures and the following description is based on
the first access relationship. Those skilled in the art can
understand the implementation of the second access relationship
given the detailed description herein. When an additional security
level 304 is added between the security levels 1 and 2, the groups
and corresponding keys have to be reassigned without affecting the
accessibility to other secured files originally classified.
According to one embodiment, the security level 1 is the most
restrictive level. Since the added level 304 is less restrictive
than the security level 1 but more restrictive than level 2, as
shown in FIG. 3A, the added level 304 is thus classified as a new
security level 2308. As a result, the rest of the original security
levels, except for the security level 1, are reorganized, creating
N+1 levels of security 310 and a new access relationship SF
.A-inverted. (GX, level 2, CKX), where GX is a newly authorized
group to be permitted to access secured files at the security level
2 with a user key and the newly created clearance key CKX.
To maintain the accessibility of the originally authorized groups,
the security levels are renumbered or remapped. If the original
access relationship is SF .A-inverted. (G2, level 2, CK2), there is
now SF .A-inverted. (G3, level 3, CK2), namely the original
security level 2 is mapped to as security level 3.
FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C each illustrate a case in which a security
level is folded into another security level. Originally, there are
three security levels 320. Now the three security levels 320 are to
be folded into two security levels 322 or 324. FIG. 3B shows the
security levels 320 being folded up to an immediate next security
level above, and FIG. 3C shows the security levels 322 being folded
down to an immediate next security level below. In particular, in
FIG. 3B, the security level 2 is to be folded into the security
level 1, a higher security level. As a result of one security level
being folded up, there are now two security levels 322. The
authorization (i.e., security parameters) designated for the
deleted security level (i.e., security level 2) need be merged with
that for the security level 1. In other words, the original access
relationships:
SF .A-inverted. (G1, level 1, CK1);
SF .A-inverted. (G2, level 2, CK2);
SF .A-inverted. (G3, level 3, CK3);
are now correspondingly mapped to:
SF .A-inverted. (G1, level 1, CK1, G2, level 2, CK2);
SF .A-inverted. (G3, level 3, CK3).
In other words, those secured files classified at security level 2
can still be accessed by those with proper access privilege.
One the other hand, FIG. 3C shows the security level 2 is being
folded to the security level 3. The authorization (i.e., security
parameters) designated for the deleted security level (i.e.,
security level 2) need be merged with that for the security level
3. In other words, the original access relationships:
SF .A-inverted. (G1, level 1, CK1);
SF .A-inverted. (G2, level 2, CK2);
SF .A-inverted. (G3, level 3, CK3);
are now correspondingly mapped to:
SF .A-inverted. (G1, level 1, CK1);
SF .A-inverted. (G3, level 3, CK3, G2, level 2, CK2).
In other words, those secured files classified at security level 2
can still be accessed by those with proper access privilege.
FIG. 4A shows a flowchart or process 400 of inserting a new
security level into N security levels according to one embodiment
of the present invention. The process 400 can be implemented in
software, hardware or both of software and hardware. In a typical
application, the process 400 is executed in a security system
employed to manage secured files for an enterprise or a group of
collaborative business entities.
At 402, the process 400 awaits a request to insert a new security
level into N existing security levels. For example, a system was
configured to manage secured files classified respectively in
accordance with one of N security levels. In other words, there are
N security levels in the system. For some reason, the system needs
to be configured to manage N+1 security levels, namely a security
level is to be added into the N security levels. Upon receiving a
request to insert the new security level, the process 400
determines how restrictive the new security level is with respect
to the N security level at 404. It is assumed that the 1 st
security level in the N security levels is most restrictive while
the Nth security level is least restrictive. The relative
restrictiveness of the new security level is a relative position in
the stack of the N security levels, indicating how less or more
restrictive with respect to the 1 st security level or the Nth
security level.
At 406, a set of security parameters is generated for the new
security level. The security parameters include at least a
clearance key and a relative security level (e.g., a tier rank).
The clearance key may be respectively generated in accordance with
FIG. 2C or FIG. 2D or other means known to those skilled in the
art. The clearance key is associated with the new security level,
and a group of users are then authorized to access secured files
classified at this new security level.
At 408, the new security level is now created in the original N
security levels, resulting N+1 security levels. Without implicating
the accessibility to secured files classified at other security
levels, the security levels below the new security level are mapped
accordingly. For example, an ith security level in the original N
security levels now becomes an (i+1) security level and the
corresponding security parameters are also shifted accordingly. In
another perspective, SF .A-inverted. (Gi, level i, CKi) is now SF
.A-inverted. (G(i+1), level (i+1), CKi). At 410, a new set of
security levels is created, which does not implicate the
accessibility to secured files originally classified and the
originally authenticated users are still able to access the secured
files they are entitled to.
FIG. 4B is provided to further understand FIG. 4A with respect to
one embodiment of the present invention and shows that a table 420
include clearance keys, each for a security level. A set of
parameters 422 for a new security level X is generated. It is
assumed that the new security level X is to be inserted between
security levels 1 and 2. The table 424 shows the relative position
of the new security level in the original N security levels in a
system. The table 426 shows reordering of the security levels to
accommodate the new level that is now with a tier rank being 2 and
the corresponding clearance keys are respectively associated with
their original ranks. As a result, the secured files classified per
the original security levels are still accessible.
According to one embodiment, when an authorized user logins into
the system, with the login information in reference to a group, the
user is granted at least two keys (a corresponding clearance key
and a user key) such that the user can access secured files
classified at the granted security level or any levels below this
security level. According to another embodiment, when an authorized
user logins into the system, with the login information in
reference to a group, the user is granted all keys pairs the user
is entitled to such that the user can access secured files
classified at this security level or any levels below this security
level. It should be noted that "granting" herein does not
necessarily means only that the user receives the keys from the
system. Depending on implementation, one or more of the keys or
part or whole of the keys may be stored in a local or remote
machine and caused to be activated for use only after the user is
authenticated.
FIG. 4C shows a flowchart or process 420 of deleting a security
level out of N security levels according to one embodiment of the
present invention. One of the features of the process 420 is to
fold the deleted security level up or down to a next immediate
security level so that users originally authorized to access
secured files classified at the deleted security level can still
access these secured files. The process 420 can be implemented in
software, hardware or both of software and hardware. In a typical
application, the process 420 is executed in a security system
employed to manage secured files for an enterprise or a group of
collaborative business entities.
At 422, the process 420 awaits a request to delete a security level
out of N existing security levels. For example, a system was
configured to manage secured files classified respectively in
accordance with one of N security levels. In other words, there are
N security levels in the system. For some reason, the system needs
to be configured to manage N-1 security levels, namely one of the N
security levels is to be deleted. Upon receiving the request to
delete, for example, an ith security level, the process 420
determines at 424 whether the ith security level is the most
restrictive. It is assumed that the 1st security level in the N
security levels is most restrictive while the Nth security level is
least restrictive. Accordingly, the process 420 determines at 424
whether the security level to be removed is the 1st security level.
If it is indeed the 1st security level, the request is denied.
It should be noted that 424 is not a limitation in the present
invention and it can be folded down to a next immediate level.
According to one embodiment, it is designed to suit in a more
practical situation. In general, it is just not desirable to have a
most restrictive security level to be deleted. In some other case,
it is also not desirable to have a least restrictive security level
to be deleted as well. Optionally, another checking may be employed
in the process 420 to determine at 424 whether the security level
to be removed is the Nth security level.
Depending on implementation, at 426, the security level to be
deleted is to be folded up or down to a next immediate security
level. For example, an ith security level to be deleted can be
merged with (i-1)th security level or (i+1)th security level. By
merging the ith security level with its next immediate security
level, it is possible to access those secured files classified at
the ith security level even if this level is deleted.
To access those secured files classified at the ith security level,
the security parameters, such as the keys and the group
designations shall be retained. As a result, at 428, the security
parameters for the ith security level are transferred or updated
accordingly. In general, for the case of folding up, the security
parameters for the ith security level are merged with those for the
(i-1)th security level, for the case of folding down, the security
parameters for the ith security level are merged with those for the
(i+1)th security level. At 430, the security levels are reordered,
for example from security levels 1 to N to 1 to (N-1).
FIG. 5A shows an exemplary implementation 500 of dropping an ith
level out of N existing levels by folding the ith level to (i--i)th
level and may be understood in conjunction with FIG. 5B and FIG.
5C. A table 510 in FIG. 5B shows that there are N security levels
labeled as Level 1, 2, . . . , N, where Level 1 is most restricted
and Level N is least restricted. A security clearance key is
associated with one of the security levels. Each of the security
levels may mean literally a type of security, such as "top secret",
"very secret", . . . "insignificant". Each of the N security levels
is also identified by an identifier. According to one embodiment,
the identifier is a sequence of digits (e.g. a hexadecimal number)
generated in a system. For example in table 510, the identifier B5C
indicates security level 1, and the identifier CD7 indicates
security level 4. To facilitate the description of FIG. 5A, it is
assumed that the ith security level to be dropped is the security
level 4.
At 502, an identifier of the security level above the one being
dropped is located, namely the identifier of the (i-1)th security
level. According to the table 510, the identifier of the 3rd
security level is FF5 (i.e., currentID=FF5). Given the two
identifiers FF5 and C07, at 504, these two identifiers are entered
in a mapping table at 504. FIG. 5C shows a corresponding mapping
table 512 which may be referred to as clearance mapping table, in
which two IDs (deletedID and currentD) now have two entries, each
being one of the two identifiers.
At 506, the mapping table 512 is updated. There is no operation
since there are any entries previously in the table 512. At 508,
the user who is previously authorized to access secured files
classified at CD7 is updated. According to one embodiment, a
notification is sent to the user or users who may have been
affected by dropping CD7 to cause the original clearance key (i.e.,
CK4) to be updated or exchanged with another clearance key (e.g.,
CD3 for FF5). According to another embodiment, when a secured file
classified at CD7 is accessed, the original clearance key is used
to access the file. At the time, the file is stored, saved or
written back to a storage space, an updated clearance key (i.e.,
the key for FF5) is effectuated in accordance with CurrentID. In
any case, the updating at 508 can be configured to be carried out
transparently.
Next, it is assumed that another security level, Level 3, is to be
dropped. Accordingly, at 502, the identifier (A92) of the security
level above Level 3 is located. At 504, these two identifiers are
entered, namely deletedID=FF5 and currentD=A92. At 506, the table
512 needs to be updated. Since there is are entries from a previous
deletion of one security level, these entries are preferably
updated, thus the CurrentID is assigned to be A92 as well as shown
in FIG. 5C. The affected user or users are updated at 508 so that
these users can still access the secured files classified at
FF5.
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C show one exemplary implementation of folding up
one deleted security level. Given the detailed description herein,
other implementations including those to fold down a deleted
security level can be readily developed by those skilled in
art.
There are numerous features, advantages and benefits in the present
invention. One of them is the mechanism provided to regroup
security levels per a specific requirement without implicating the
accessibility to secured files classified in accordance with the
existing security levels. Another one of them is that a security
level can be removed from a set of existing security levels while
the security parameters for the security level to be deleted are
either folded up or down to an immediate next security level. As a
result, the security parameters for the immediate next security
level are augmented to include those for the security level to be
deleted such that the secured files classified at the security
level to be deleted can still be accessed by those with proper
clearance levels. Other features, advantages and benefits may be
appreciated by those skilled in the art in the foregoing
descriptions.
The present invention has been described in sufficient details with
a certain degree of particularity. It is understood to those
skilled in the art that the present disclosure of embodiments has
been made by way of examples only and that numerous changes in the
arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.
Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the
appended claims rather than the foregoing description of
embodiments.
* * * * *
References