Synchronizing private data with reduced trust

A method for synchronizing private data with reduced trust, the method for use with a system, the system comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory with instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions upon execution by the processor, cause the processor to execute the method, said method comprising:

• initiating, at a user workstation, a new session of a web service, wherein the new session comprises an ephemeral web browser instance that is one of a set of ephemeral web browser instances;
• storing a sensitive data set in a local persistent storage co-located with the user workstation;
• transmitting the initiation to a web service server, said initiation triggering, at the web service server, an allocation of a session identifier to the new session and a preparation of one or more tokens;
• connecting to an intermediate web service;
• preparing, at the intermediate web service, a plurality of encryption keys wherein:
• the plurality of encryption keys are encrypted;
• and
• the user workspace is unable to decrypt the encrypted encryption keys;
• receiving, at the user workstation, the session identifier and the one or more tokens;
• using the user workstation to connect to the new session at the web service server;
• transmitting, to the web service server, protected session data from the user workstation, said transmitting occurring during the new session, said protected session data comprising the sensitive data set and a plurality of data changes;
• securely transmitting, from the intermediate web service to the web service server, the plurality of encryption keys;
• unprotecting, at the web service server, the protected session data using the plurality of encryption keys;
• proposing to commit the plurality of data changes as a new changeset, wherein said proposing comprises transmitting metadata describing the changeset, without transmitting the changeset, from the web service server to the intermediate web service;
• receiving confirmation, from the intermediate web service, of a successful acceptance of the proposal to commit
• receiving the changeset at the user workstation;
• using the one or more tokens at the workstation to decrypt the protected session data;
• and
• updating the protected data at the local persistent storage co-located with the user workstation
• wherein:
• the intermediate web service is prevented from accessing the sensitive data set
• the sensitive data set is securely encrypted;
• and
• the user workspace is unable to decrypt the sensitive data set.

A system for synchronizing private data with reduced trust, the system comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory with instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the processor to:

• receive an initiation, from a user workstation, of a new session at a web service server, wherein the new session comprises an ephemeral web browser instance that is one of a set of ephemeral web browser instances;
• connect to an intermediate web service;
• prepare, at the intermediate web service, an encryption key, wherein:
• the encryption key is encrypted;
• and
• the user workspace is unable to decrypt the encrypted encryption key;
• store a sensitive data set in a local persistent storage co-located with the user workstation, wherein:
• the sensitive data set is encrypted;
• the user workspace is unable to decrypt the sensitive data set and
• the intermediate web service is prevented from accessing the sensitive data set;
• allocate a session identifier to the new session;
• return the session identifier to the user workstation;
• connect the user workstation to the new session;
• receive at the web service server, from the user workstation during the new session, the sensitive data set and a plurality of data changes to the sensitive data set;
• securely transmit, from the intermediate web service to the web service server, the encryption key;
• decrypt, at the web service server, the sensitive data set using the encryption key;
• propose to commit the plurality of data changes as a new changeset, wherein said proposing comprises transmitting metadata describing the changeset, without transmitting the changeset, from the web service server to the intermediate web service;
• receive confirmation, from the intermediate web service, of a successful acceptance of the proposal to commit;
• and
• transmit the changeset to the user workstation.

A method for synchronizing private data with reduced trust, the method for use with a system, the system comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory with instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, upon execution by the processor, cause the processor to execute the method, said method comprising:

• receiving a request, at an intermediate web service, from a user workstation to initiate a new session with a web service;
• allocating, via the intermediate web service, an instance of the web service for the new session, wherein the instance comprises an ephemeral web browser instance that is one of a set of ephemeral web browser instances;
• generating, at the intermediate web service, a set of cryptographic keys;
• encrypting the set of cryptographic keys at the intermediate web service, wherein the user workspace is unable to decrypt the encrypted set of cryptographic keys;
• transmitting the encrypted set of cryptographic keys from the intermediate web service to the user workstation;
• storing the encrypted set of cryptographic keys in persistent local storage at the user workstation;
• negotiating, between the intermediate web service and the instance of the web service, a shared secret key;
• generating, at the intermediate web service, session initialization information;
• transmitting the session initialization information from the intermediate web service to the user workstation;
• using the session initialization information, connecting the user workstation to the instance of the web service for the new session;
• storing a sensitive data set at the user workstation, wherein the sensitive data set is encrypted;
• receiving, at the instance of the web service as part of the new session, a copy of the sensitive data set and the encrypted set of cryptographic keys;
• decrypting the encrypted set of cryptographic keys, at the instance of the web service, using the shared secret key;
• decrypting the copy of the sensitive data, at the instance of the web service, using the decrypted set of cryptographic keys;
• and
• using the decrypted copy of the sensitive data, at the instance of the web service, for the new session;
• wherein the method further comprises:
• detecting, at the instance of the web service, a change to the copy of the sensitive data;
• proposing to commit the change as a changeset, wherein said proposing comprises transmitting metadata describing the change, without transmitting the change, to the intermediate web service;
• receiving, at the instance of the web service from the intermediate web service, authorization to commit the change as a changeset and
• broadcasting the changeset to the user workstation;
• and
• wherein:
• the intermediate web service is prevented from accessing the sensitive data set
• the sensitive data set is securely encrypted;
• and
• the user workspace is unable to decrypt the sensitive data set.