Bubble-protected system for automatic decryption of file data on a per-use basis and automatic re-encryption

For use in a machine system having a data-providing means that provides data of an identified one of plural digital data files, where each of said files is identifiable by a file name, a machine-implemented method for protecting the information of said files from unauthorized access by way of unauthorized ones of identifiable programs, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) intercepting data access attempts made by access requesting programs for data in an identified one of said files;
• (b) first testing each intercepted data access attempt for satisfaction of a first predefined condition that defines one or both of the identity of one or more of the access requesting programs and the time of the access request;
• (c) second testing each intercepted data access attempt for satisfaction of a second predefined condition that defines the identity of the requested file;
• and
• (d) in response to said first and second testing steps, denying or approving access to the data of the requested file.

A machine system for maintaining confidential information generally in encrypted form while allowing for decryption of such confidential information into temporary plaintext form, said machine system comprising:

• (a) a memory for storing a plurality of digital data files where said plurality of files includes a first file containing first data representing a pre-encrypted form of confidential first information, where said plurality of files can further include a second file containing second data representing a plaintext form of nonconfidential second information, and where each of said files is identifiable by a file name;
• (b) a decrypting mechanism for decrypting ciphertext data into plaintext data;
• (c) recryption control means for selecting one of the files stored in said memory and for causing the decrypting mechanism to decrypt data contained in the selected file and for automatically later eliminating the decrypted data,
• (c.1) wherein said recryption control means is responsive to a supplied exclusion list, the exclusion list identifies one or more files in said memory as excluded files that are not to be selected by the recryption control means for decryption, and the recryption control means accordingly does not select the excluded files for decryption by the decrypting mechanism;
• (d) an interceptable access mechanism through which data of an identified file is accessed by identifiable, requesting programs;
• (e) bubble-control means coupled to intercept data access attempts made through said interceptable access mechanism by said identifiable, requesting programs,
• (e.1) wherein the bubble-control means includes deny/approve means for testing the intercepted data access attempts and responsively denying or approving data access to the data of an identified subset of said files based on the identity of one or more access-attempting programs, and
• (e.2) wherein a denial by the bubble-control means prevents the decrypting mechanism from decrypting data contained in the corresponding one or more files for which access was attempted.

In an automated machine for executing one or more application programs, where the application programs access file data of a plurality of stored files by causing interceptable file-OPEN requests and file-CLOSE requests to be sent to an operating system of said machine, and where data within a subset of the plurality of stored files is encrypted;

• an automatic bubble-protecting and decryption control mechanism comprising:
• (a) OPEN intercept means for intercepting said interceptable file-OPEN requests;
• (b) selective OPEN continuance means, responsive to the intercept means, for determining whether an intercepted file-OPEN request is requesting an open of a file for which the request is to be denied based on the identity of the requested file and the identity of a requesting program,
• (b.1) said selective OPEN continuance means being further for determining, if the access request is not denied on the basis of said identity of the requested file and said identity of a requesting program, whether the request-invoking application program expects to use a plaintext version of the requested file's data, and if not, for allowing the intercepted file-OPEN request to continue on its way to the operating system;
• (c) plaintext tracking means, responsive to the selective continuance means, for determining whether a plaintext version of the sometimes encrypted data of the requested file already exists, and if so, for allowing the intercepted file-OPEN request to continue on its way to the operating system such that the plaintext version will be accessed;
• and
• (d) a decrypting mechanism, responsive to the plaintext tracking means such that on a determination that a plaintext version of the sometimes encrypted data of the requested file does not already exist, the decrypting mechanism decrypts ciphertext data within the requested file into plaintext data.

A machine-implemented method for carrying out in an automated machine that executes one or more application programs, where the application programs attempt to access file data of a plurality of stored files by causing interceptable file-OPEN requests to be sent to an operating system of said machine, and where data within a subset of the plurality of stored files is to be kept encrypted most of the time;

• said method comprising at least the step of:
• (a) determining whether an intercepted file-OPEN request is requesting an open of a file for which the request is to be denied based on the identity of the requested file and the identity of a requesting program;
• said method further comprising one or more of the following steps if said determining step does not generate an access denial decision:
• (b) using file-exclusion lists to block on-the-fly recryption of identified files that do not need to be decrypted and thereafter optionally re-encrypted;
• (c) using application-program exclusion lists to block from on-the-fly recryption those files that are accessed by identified application programs that do not need use decrypted plaintext of such files;
• and
• (d) decrypting the ciphertext of unblocked files on an as needed basis in response to intercepted file-OPEN requests, said decrypting not being needed where a real or phantom plaintext version thereof is already available for use.

A machine-implemented, program distribution method for use in a network composed of a plurality of automated machines that each executes one or more application programs, where the application programs attempt to access file data of targeted ones of a plurality of stored files by causing interceptable file-OPEN requests to be sent to an operating system of a corresponding one of said machines, and where data of at least a subset of the plurality of stored files is protected by a bubble protection mechanism that includes a temporal-causation restricting mechanism for restricting access to the bubble-protected files based on time of attempted access via said interceptable file-OPEN requests, said program distribution method comprising the steps of:

• (a) for a given program that is to be distributively installed across at least a susbset of said machines of the network, defining a class of bubble-protected files which the given program may attempt to access;
• (b) for each bubble-protected file in said defined class, restricting access to the respective file to a temporal period that starts at a predefined distribution completion date;
• and
• (c) trickle distributing the given program over time via the network for installation in each of said at least susbset of machines such that distribution and installation completes by said predefined distribution completion date.

An instruction conveying apparatus for operatively instructing a predefined, instructable machine to carry out bubble protection actions, said bubble protection actions comprising:

• (a) intercepting a file access request caused by one or more causation-events for access to targeted data having a unique identity;
• (b) first testing the identity of the targeted data for satisfaction of a predefined target-query condition;
• (c) second testing the identity of the one or more causation-events or the timing of the corresponding file access request for satisfaction of a predefined causation-query condition;
• and
• (d) in response to said first and second testings, approving or denying the intercepted file access request.