# US 2018/0025164 A1 · Dissolvable protection of candidate sensitive data items > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025164 A1 - Document ID: US20180025164A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/710,005 - Filed: 2017-09-20 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-04 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Daniel PLASTINA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025164A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/60: Protecting data - G06F 16/2291: {User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof} - G06F 21/602: {Providing cryptographic facilities or services} - G06F 21/6245: {Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Reducing risk of data loss by automatically background scanning a data set to detect a plurality of candidate sensitive data items. For at least some of those candidate sensitive data items that are deemed not to concretely classified as sensitive, a dissolvable encryption is applied to the data item to at least temporarily protect the data item. When the user requests access to the data item, the system determines that the data item has been dissolvably encrypted and that the user is authorized to define the sensitivity of the data item. In response, the user is allowed to direct the system as to whether the data item is to be concretely encrypted (such as if the user was to confirm the data item as sensitive), or whether the dissolvable encryption of the data item is to be dissolved (such as if the user was to confirm the data item as not sensitive). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors and a storage device, for protecting data items, the method comprising: classifying a candidate sensitive data item as having an unknown sensitivity, the unknown sensitivity classification comprising a sensitivity classification that is to be determined as either sensitive or non-sensitive by an authorized user upon access of the candidate sensitive data item by the authorized user; based at least on the candidate data item being classified as having an unknown sensitivity, applying dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, applying the dissolvable encryption comprising using a dissolvable encryption container to encrypt the candidate data item such that upon decryption of the candidate data item by the authorized user, the candidate data item is extractable from the dissolvable encryption container by the authorized user; and subsequent to applying the dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, receiving a user-specified indication of whether the candidate data item is sensitive or non-sensitive, including: detecting a request from a user to access the candidate data item; detecting that the user is authorized to define sensitivity of the candidate data item; and in response to the request, and further in response to detecting that the user is authorized, allowing the user to direct whether the candidate data item is sensitive and is therefore to be concretely encrypted with non-dissolvable encryption, or whether the candidate data item is non-sensitive such that the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item is to be dissolved; and based at least on the user-specified indication, performing one of the following: based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is sensitive, concretely encrypting the candidate data item with non-dissolvable encryption, including applying a non-dissolvable encryption container to the candidate data item that denies permission for a user to extract the candidate data item from the non-dissolvable encryption container, even if the candidate data item has been decrypted; or based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is non-sensitive, dissolving the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item, resulting in an unprotected data item which is classified as not sensitive. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising logging the direction of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising background scanning a data set to detect the plurality of candidate sensitive data items stored at the storage device, and wherein less than all of the data items in the data set are characterized as candidate sensitive data items in that the background scanning uses one or more criteria of each data item to determine whether the corresponding data item is to be a candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises one of a camera, a digital scanner, a laptop computer, or a mobile telephone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specified indication indicates that the candidate sensitive data item is sensitive, and wherein the method includes performing the concrete encryption of the candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specified indication indicates that the candidate sensitive data item is non-sensitive, and wherein the method includes performing the dissolving of the dissolvable encryption of the candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 7 A computing system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media accessible to the one or more processors, the computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing system to perform at least the following: classify a candidate sensitive data item as having an unknown sensitivity, the unknown sensitivity classification comprising a sensitivity classification that is to be determined as either sensitive or non-sensitive by an authorized user upon access of the candidate sensitive data item by the authorized user; based at least on the candidate data item being classified as having an unknown sensitivity, apply dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, applying the dissolvable encryption comprising using a dissolvable encryption container to encrypt the candidate data item such that upon decryption of the candidate data item by the authorized user, the candidate data item is extractable from the dissolvable encryption container by the authorized user; and subsequent to applying the dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, receive a user-specified indication of whether the candidate data item is sensitive or non-sensitive, including: detecting a request from a user to access the candidate data item; detecting that the user is authorized to define sensitivity of the candidate data item; and in response to the request, and further in response to detecting that the user is authorized, allowing the user to direct whether the candidate data item is sensitive and is therefore to be concretely encrypted with non-dissolvable encryption, or whether the candidate data item is non-sensitive such that the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item is to be dissolved; and based at least on the user-specified indication, perform one of the following: based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is sensitive, concretely encrypting the candidate data item with non-dissolvable encryption, including applying a non-dissolvable encryption container to the candidate data item that denies permission for a user to extract the candidate data item from the non-dissolvable encryption container, even if the candidate data item has been decrypted; or based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is non-sensitive, dissolving the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item, resulting in an unprotected data item which is classified as not sensitive. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, the computing system being a camera. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, the computing system being a digital scanner. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, the computing system being a laptop computer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, the computing system being a mobile telephone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, wherein the computing system also logs the direction of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, wherein the user-specified indication indicates that the candidate sensitive data item is sensitive, and wherein the computing system performs the concrete encryption of the candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, wherein the user-specified indication indicates that the candidate sensitive data item is non-sensitive, and wherein the computing system performs the dissolving of the dissolvable encryption of the candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The computing system of claim 7, wherein the computing system also background scans a data set to detect the plurality of candidate sensitive data items stored at a storage device, and wherein less than all of the data items in the data set are characterized as candidate sensitive data items in that the background scanning uses one or more criteria of each data item to determine whether the corresponding data item is to be a candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 16 A computer program product comprising one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computing system to cause the computing system to perform at least the following: classify a candidate sensitive data item as having an unknown sensitivity, the unknown sensitivity classification comprising a sensitivity classification that is to be determined as either sensitive or non-sensitive by an authorized user upon access of the candidate sensitive data item by the authorized user; based at least on the candidate data item being classified as having an unknown sensitivity, apply dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, applying the dissolvable encryption comprising using a dissolvable encryption container to encrypt the candidate data item such that upon decryption of the candidate data item by the authorized user, the candidate data item is extractable from the dissolvable encryption container by the authorized user; and subsequent to applying the dissolvable encryption to the candidate data item, receive a user-specified indication of whether the candidate data item is sensitive or non-sensitive, including: detecting a request from a user to access the candidate data item; detecting that the user is authorized to define sensitivity of the candidate data item; and in response to the request, and further in response to detecting that the user is authorized, allowing the user to direct whether the candidate data item is sensitive and is therefore to be concretely encrypted with non-dissolvable encryption, or whether the candidate data item is non-sensitive such that the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item is to be dissolved; and based at least on the user-specified indication, perform one of the following: based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is sensitive, concretely encrypting the candidate data item with non-dissolvable encryption, including applying a non-dissolvable encryption container to the candidate data item that denies permission for a user to extract the candidate data item from the non-dissolvable encryption container, even if the candidate data item has been decrypted; or based at least on the user-specified indication indicating that the candidate data item is non-sensitive, dissolving the dissolvable encryption of the candidate data item, resulting in an unprotected data item which is classified as not sensitive. as not sensitive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computing system also logs the direction of the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the user-specified indication indicates that the candidate data sensitive item is sensitive, and wherein the computing system performs the concrete encryption of the candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the user-specified indication indicates that the candidate sensitive data item is non-sensitive, and wherein the computing system performs the dissolving of the dissolvable encryption of the candidate sensitive data item. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computing system also background scans a data set to detect the plurality of candidate sensitive data items stored at the storage device, and wherein less than all of the data items in the data set are characterized as candidate sensitive data items in that the background scanning uses one or more criteria of each data item to determine whether the corresponding data item is to be a candidate sensitive data item.