Identification-based data entity encryption for safe access thereof

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to digital rights management (DRM), and in particular to the encryption and decryption of data items and allow access to encrypted data elements.

BACKGROUND

Developments in information and communication technologies brings with all its advantages and concerns about security issues. The data is no longer located on mainframes physically isolated and placed within the organization, where physical security measures can be taken to protect the data and systems. Modern solutions are developed to the open interconnected environment, which often occurs in the third-party storage resources and perform operations on trusted servers. The old security model with a predominance of the server block data in the database server and uses the traditional model of access control for permission to access the data. To achieve this security, which is crucial in the area of ​​enterprise systems management data, distributed computing and other distributed / peer systems management data, a model protection with prevalence data (like DRM), where the data is cryptographically protected and allow the use of third-party resources, or even free moving in the network. Instead of relying on a different network to provide confidentiality, reliability and accuracy of data expected to unsafe networks and data are protected at the endpoints of communication channels. The data will be encrypted and only the registered users, who need access to the data, get the decryption key, which in turn will allow them to decrypt data. DRM-system ensures the confidentiality of the data on the route, which is from the point of view of safety is a great improvement regarding control over data distribution and privacy of different users, in particular in the field of medical care.

In healthcare, however, access to data is very often given on an ad hoc basis, for example, in an emergency situation. To the above decision was taken in the field of medicine, it is necessary to include the possibility of accessing emergency: patients life sometimes depends on the availability of health care workers to access data. Even if security is an important feature, it still is less important than maintaining the health of the patient. Any medical worker who serves patients should have access to the necessary data. In models with a predominance of data protection this means that he needs the keys used to encrypt data. Previously proposed solution is based on the use of trusted agents which release the data keys for medical data in the emergency cases.

Usually published DRM-protected data is encrypted and server permissions issues permits, ie decryption key to prompt the user only if they have sufficient rights to access the data. An emergency access is thus difficult to process in the sense that it represents an exception in the normal behavior of the system: the employee emergency must be issued permission to decode the data to which he wants to access even if he has no normal legitimate right on it . The legitimacy of access must therefore be proved later to privacy of data as a result was still assured. So you want to record emergency access to the journal.

In the previously proposed solution of the problem of management of emergency access is how to give emergency authorization and record such events. Infrastructure trusted agent provides for the issuance of an emergency resolution on the request for an emergency access. New trusted and affordable component responsible for handling emergencies, and the secrecy of data, so necessary. It will in fact consist of a parallel infrastructure that can be provided at the same time as the existing DRM-system.

Emergency authorized person generates a new emergency key pair that is sent to all its emergency agents. In addition, only the public key sent to the server permissions so they can create an extra permission for new protected data. In addition to the encryption key to the content through the public key of the intended user, the server encrypts the content key permits also means emergency key. All closed emergency keys must be known to every emergency agent to ensure data availability.

However, the solution described above has several problems. Firstly, if one of the emergency key is compromised, it will affect many of the data elements, i.e. they will be compromised too. In order to reduce the effects, the number of emergency keys can be increased (up to the use of the emergency key on one item of data), which, therefore, will increase the number of keys that are trusted agents should lead and who should be stored (up to the key data item). Obviously, this approach is redundant.

Another problem is that while the establishment of data protection and the creation of an emergency permit special key (which is supposed to be a secret) should be known.

Consequently, an improved and simplified method for managing encrypted data items would be preferable, and in particular a more simplified and / or reliable method of issuing decryption keys to medical workers in an emergency situation would be preferable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention preferably seeks to solve, mitigate or eliminate one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages singly or in any combination. In particular, as the purpose of the present invention can be seen to provide a method for encrypting and / or decrypting data items such as healthcare documents that solves the aforementioned problems of the prior art.

This goal several other purposes are achieved according to a first aspect of the invention by providing a method of encrypting a data item having an identifier for identifying the data element, the method comprising: encryption by the key of a symmetric encryption data element to obtain an encrypted data item and encrypted by means of an identifier data item in as an encryption key, the symmetric encryption key to obtain an encrypted encryption key.

According to one aspect of the invention provides a method of decrypting an encrypted data item, the encrypted data element is encrypted with the encryption key and the encryption key is encrypted, the method comprising providing a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted encryption key using the provided decryption key for decrypting the encrypted encryption key to obtain the encryption key and Using the obtained encryption key for decrypting the encrypted data item to obtain the data item.

The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, advantageous for use in healthcare for protecting patient related healthcare data items such as records, images etc.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a computer software product adapted for permission to computer system comprising at least one computer with data storage means connected therewith to control the encryption and decryption of data items and the management of associated keys and authorizations. Such computer program product can be provided in any type kompyuterochitaemom carrier, for example, magnetic or optical media, or via a computer network such as the Internet.

Each aspect of the present invention may be combined with any other aspect. These and other aspects of the invention will be explained with reference to the embodiments described below and will be apparent to one of them.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a method for encrypting a data item according to a first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a method of decrypting an encrypted data item according to a second aspect of the invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a computer system for use with the invention.

The present invention will now be explained, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying figures.

The invention uses the concept of identity-based encryption as described above, eg., In "Encryption based authentication Weyl pairs" attribution D. Boneh and M. Franklin, SIAM J. of Computing, Vol. 32, №3, p. 586-615, 2003

In the context of this invention, a "special agent" is a person authorized by the person or organization, or anyone else who manages permissions / keys to secure data elements. There may be one or more emergency agents. "Medical practice" is a person authorized by the person or organization, or anyone else who provides care to one or more patients or persons.

Each agent has an extra pair of major discoveries and major private key encryption schemes based on the identification. It is assumed that only one such pair is used throughout the system; however, the invention can be generalized to work effectively with a limited number of such pairs. Emergency Agent keeps secret master key protected. The corresponding public key is openly available head all the parties involved, such as health care workers.

FIG. 1 shows a data element 100, which should be protected by encryption. Data element 100 may be, for example, any data, such as a document or an image related to a patient. Data Element 100 has an identifier 101 that identifies the data item. The identifier may be, for example, header data element, such as a generic or specific title. Element 100 is first encrypted data in step 103 according to the scheme under the symmetric encryption key 102 to produce an encrypted data element 104. This key 102 is encrypted in step 105 the server permissions for the encryption scheme based on the identification of the element with the ID 101 100 data as a public key ("identification") and the main public key. This encrypted key 106 is stored as part of an emergency solution.

FIG. 2 illustrates the steps of decrypting the encrypted data element 104. In the case where the health worker needs to access one or more encrypted item 104 data or ideally their decrypted equivalents 100 with the identifier, it is associated with an emergency agent verifies his identity and request the appropriate decryption key for decrypting the requested one or more elements data. Emergency Alerts in turn writes a request to the log generates a corresponding private key 201 and the key is the health worker. Medical practice and uses the received decryption key 201, in step 202, the encrypted key 106 contained in the emergency resolution. In turn the decrypted encryption key 102 can be used in step 203 to decrypt encrypted data items 104. Requested the decrypted data element 100 thus becomes accessible health care professional.

Emergency agents should record all emergency actions and to carry out regular checks to ensure proper use of emergency schemes. Recorded data should contain relevant data, such as identification of the medical officer, requesting permission; which data items were requested; which permits have been issued; date, time, etc.

It should be noted that the use of identity-based encryption allows the use of a separate key 102 for each data element 100. Thus, if there is accidental release key 102 is touched only the data element 100; all other data items in the system are reserved. Even if there is a leak the key to an unauthorized person with illegal intent, he can not use a key for decrypting other documents. Furthermore, security features in the encryption scheme based on identifying ensure that the key 102 can only be obtained by interacting with an emergency agent, who in turn must record the events in the log for reporting purposes. The scheme is extremely advantageous in terms of space, since only public and private master keys must be stored on a permanent basis. All other keys (102 and 201) either generated randomly or computed in the process of the identifier of the requested document.

FIG. 3 shows a computer system 300 comprising a computer 301 with a data store 302 associated with it. The computer 301 receives input data 303 and provides output data 304 and instructions programmed in a suitable computer program product 305, such as CDROM, for controlling the encryption and decryption of data items and the management of associated keys and authorizations.

The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The invention or some features of the invention may be implemented as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors. The elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable manner. In fact, the functions may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units. The invention itself may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units and processors.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, it is not intended be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Moreover, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims. In the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, may prevent favorable association, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that the combination of features is not possible and / or disadvantageous. Additionally, references in the singular does not exclude a plurality. Thus, references to "one", "first", "second", etc. do not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.