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AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsErik Riedel, Mahesh Kallahalla, Ram Swaminathan
Estimating the term…
A technique for secure file access control via directory encryption. Filenames of data files stored by a network server are encrypted so as to protect them in the event the server is untrustworthy, such as in a distributed computing environment. Two encryption keys are employed so as to provide different access capabilities. For example, clients of the server that are authorized to perform read-only operations on the files may be prevented from modifying the files, while client that are authorized to perform write operations, may modify the files or even delete the files. In a preferred embodiment, encrypted filenames replace plaintext files in a directory structure without otherwise changing the directory structure. Because the directory structure is otherwise unchanged, the server may still have adequate information to perform file management and space management functions.
A method of file access control comprising:
An apparatus for controlling access to a file, comprising:
An apparatus for controlling access to a file comprising a server having a stored encrypted filename of a file, the server being in communication with a writer and a reader, the writer being a client of the server and having a first key that permits the writer to write to the file and the reader being another client of the server and having a combination of the first key and a second key wherein the combination permits the reader to read the file.
An apparatus for controlling access to a file comprising a server having a first stored encrypted filename of the file and a second stored encrypted filename of the file, the server being in communication with a writer and a reader, the writer being a client of the server and having a first key that permits the writer to write to the file and the reader being another client of the server and having a second key that permits the reader to read the file.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.