Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-20
2004-06-22
Mizrahi, Diane D. (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754678
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates primarily to the field of computer software, and in particular to securely and autonomously synchronizing data in a distributed computing environment.
Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.
2. Background Art
Typically, secure data delivery systems are faced with the problem of receiving large amounts of sensitive and classified data, storing it in a database for processing, and distributing current data securely to the intended user while ensuring all users have access to updated data. Frequently, the intended user is not present at the site where the data is accumulated. Thus, the data must be transmitted to the location of the user. If the data is sensitive (e.g., military data), it must be protected from hackers who could alter the data making it unusable or dangerous to use. Additionally, data modified by one user must be reflected in the data possessed by all appropriate users of the system. Prior art methods of secure data delivery are insufficient. This problem can be better understood by a review of data delivery systems.
Data Delivery Systems
In some computer systems, data is gathered at a central location and must be distributed to multiple users in different locations. For example, a typical National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission involves scientists located all over the globe. Many of those scientists are not able to stay at mission control for the entire duration of the mission. Thus, data must be transmitted to the scientists involved who cannot be present at mission control.
In other examples, such as commanding robotic mining vehicles, robotic arms for delicate surgeries or robotic agricultural vehicles, there is a need to convey precise, secure, and real time information from the user to the vehicle or vice-versa. In one example, an engineer is on surface while the robotic mining vehicle is miles below the surface or in a different location. Secure communication is needed to transmit accurate mining conditions to the engineer and to send appropriate actions to the robotic mining vehicle. If the data transmission is not secure, a malicious individual could alter the data to cause actions which would harm the robotic mining vehicle.
In another example, a surgeon may be in a different location as a patient. Secure communication is needed to transmit precise and secure instructions to the robotic arm based on precise and secure information securely transmitted to the surgeon. If the data transmission is not secure, a malicious individual could alter the data to cause actions which would harm the patient. Similarly, in another example, a robotic agricultural vehicle is manned by a farmer at a location which is several miles away from the farm. Secure communication is needed to transmit instructions regarding speed of the vehicle, and height of the cutting blade depending on information securely transmitted to the farmer from sensors placed on the vehicle. If the data transmission is not secure, a malicious individual could alter the data to cause actions which would harm the robotic agricultural vehicle.
Data Security
In some instances, it is desirable to transmit data securely. Secure transmission prevents an unintended user from reading or altering the transmitted data. One prior art method of secure data delivery involves dedicated lines of transmission. However, data transmission systems which use dedicated transmission lines are expensive. Additionally, the dedicated lines must be physically secure. If the dedicated lines are not physically secure, an unauthorized individual can add a device to the dedicated line and read or alter the transmitted data.
Some less expensive prior art data delivery systems use the Internet as a means of transmitting data. However, information sent via the Internet is typically insecure. The lack of security of the Internet and the expense of dedicated lines frequently discourage implementation of secure data transmission systems. For example, NASA sometimes does not distribute classified mission data and, instead, requires scientists to be present at mission control.
Cryptographic Systems
A cryptographic system is a system for sending a message from a sender to a receiver over a medium so that the message is “secure”, that is, so that only the intended receiver can recover the message. Additionally, cryptographic systems authenticate messages. Authenticating a message means determining whether the message is actually from the purported sender.
A cryptographic system converts a message, referred to as “plaintext” into an encrypted format, known as “ciphertext.” The encryption is accomplished by manipulating or transforming the message using a “cipher key” or keys. The receiver “decrypts” the message, that is, converts it from ciphertext to plaintext, by reversing the manipulation or transformation process using the cipher key or keys. So long as only the sender and receiver have knowledge of the cipher key, such an encrypted transmission is secure.
A “classical” cryptosystem is a cryptosystem in which the enciphering information can be used to determine the deciphering information. To provide security, a classical cryptosystem requires that the enciphering key be kept secret and provided to users of the system over secure channels. Secure channels, such as secret couriers, secure telephone transmission lines, or the like, are often impractical and expensive.
A system that eliminates the difficulties of exchanging a secure enciphering key is known as “public key encryption.” By definition, a public key cryptosystem has the property that someone who knows only how to encipher a message cannot use the enciphering key to find the deciphering key without a prohibitively lengthy computation. An enciphering function is chosen so that once an enciphering key is known, the enciphering function is relatively easy to compute. However, the inverse of the encrypting transformation function is difficult, or computationally infeasible, to compute. Such a function is referred to as a “one way function” or as a “trap door function.” In a public key cryptosystem, certain information relating to the keys is public. This information can be, and often is, published or transmitted in a non-secure manner. Also, certain information relating to the keys is private. This information may be distributed over a secure channel to protect its privacy, (or may be created by a local user to ensure privacy).
A block diagram of a typical public key cryptographic system is illustrated in
FIG. 1. A
sender represented by the blocks within dashed line (
100
) sends a plaintext message, Ptxt, to a receiver, represented by the blocks within dashed line (
115
). The plaintext message is encrypted into a ciphertext message, C, transmitted over some transmission medium and decoded by the receiver (
115
) to recreate the plaintext message Ptxt.
The sender (
100
) includes a cryptographic device (
101
), a secure key generator (
102
) and a key source (
103
). The key source (
103
) is connected to the secure key generator (
102
) through line (
104
). The secure key generator (
102
) is coupled to the cryptographic device (
101
) through line (
105
). The cryptographic device provides a ciphertext output, C, on line (
106
). The secure key generator (
102
) provides a key output on line (
107
). This output is provided, along with the ciphertext message (
106
), to transmitter receiver (
109
). The transmitter receiver (
109
) may be, for example, a computer transmitting device such as a modem or it may be a device for transmitting radio frequency transmission signals. The transmitter receiver (
109
) outputs the secure key and the ciphertext message on an insecure c
Backes Paul G.
Norris Jeffery S.
California Institute of Technology
Coudert Brothers LLP
Harriman II, Esq. J. D.
Mizrahi Diane D.
Mofiz Apu
LandOfFree
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