Dispersed storage network with customized security and methods for use therewith

A dispersed storage (DS) processing unit for use in a dispersed storage network (DSN) comprises:

• an interface;
• memory;
• and
• a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the memory, wherein the processing module is operable to perform operations including:
• receiving, via the interface, an access request corresponding to a data segment of a data object stored in the DSN, wherein the data segment is dispersed storage error encoded into a set of encoded data slices, wherein a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices is required to decode the data segment, wherein the decoded threshold number is greater than one, and wherein the set of encoded data slices is stored or is to be stored in a plurality of dispersed storage units of the DSN;
• determining connection security requirements corresponding to the access request;
• determining a subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on the connection security requirements, wherein the subset includes at least the decode threshold number of dispersed storage units of the plurality of dispersed storage units;
• determining, based on the connection security requirements, a connection security level for communicating with the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units regarding the access request, wherein determining the connection security level includes determining a corresponding one of a plurality of connection security levels for each of the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on a corresponding proximity of each of the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units from the one or more computing devices;
• and
• communicating, via the interface, respective portions of the access request to each of the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units in accordance with the corresponding one of the plurality of connection security levels.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises:

• at least one memory section that stores operational instructions that, when executed by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a dispersed storage network (DSN), causes the one or more computing devices to perform operations including:
• receiving an access request corresponding to a data segment of a data object stored in the DSN, wherein the data segment is dispersed storage error encoded into a set of encoded data slices, wherein a decode threshold number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices is required to decode the data segment, wherein the decoded threshold number is greater than one, and wherein the set of encoded data slices is stored or is to be stored in a plurality of dispersed storage units of the DSN;
• determining connection security requirements corresponding to the access request;
• determining a subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on the connection security requirements, wherein the subset includes at least the decode threshold number of dispersed storage units of the plurality of dispersed storage units;
• determining, based on the connection security requirements, a connection security level for communicating with the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units regarding the access request, wherein determining the connection security level includes determining a corresponding one of a plurality of connection security levels for each of the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on a corresponding proximity of each of the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units from the one or more computing devices;
• and
• communicating respective portions of the access request to each of the subset of the plurality of dispersed storage units in accordance with the corresponding one of the plurality of connection security levels.