Security token and system and method for generating and decoding the security token

A computerized method for providing, to a user of a computing system, read access to a plurality of discrete pieces of information in an information set in a database within a file in the computing system, said method comprising:

• encoding, by the computing system, an information security label associated with the set of information in the database in the file, said encoding comprising:
• assigning, by the computing system, a unique integer value to each characteristic of a set of characteristics, the set comprising a plurality of characteristics;
• identifying, for each piece of information in the database, at least one characteristic describing the piece of information, wherein the set of characteristics comprises pieces of information having at least one characteristic that is identical;
• where a piece of information has more than one characteristic, combining, by the computing system, the integer values assigned to each characteristic of the set of characteristics that describe the information security label into an encoded information security label, said encoded information security label obfuscating each characteristic of the set of characteristics;
• decoding the information security label, said decoding comprising:
• (a) identifying a base for use in encoding the information security label;
• and
• (b) determining, by the computing system, a floor of a logarithm to the identified base of the encoded information security label to determine a value for a first characteristic of the set of characteristics;
• assigning, by the computing system, each user of the computing system a user security label based on a security level assigned to said user;
• assigning, by the computing system, each software application residing on the computer system a corresponding application security label;
• receiving, by the computer system, a user request to access one or more particular discrete pieces of information within the database;
• and
• providing, by the computing system, read access to a set of one or more particular discrete pieces of information in the database when the user security label and the application security label dominate the encoded information security label associated with the set of one or more particular discrete pieces of information.

A system for encoding an information security label associated with a set of information in a database in a file and utilizable in a computing system for controlling read access to the set of information, the database being accessed by one or more users, the information security label containing characteristics describing the set of information, said system comprising:

• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for:
• assigning, by the computing system, a unique integer value to each characteristic of a set of characteristics, the set comprising a plurality of characteristics;
• identifying, for each piece of information in the database, at least one characteristic describing the piece of information, wherein the set of characteristics comprises pieces of information having at least one characteristic that is identical;
• where the piece of information has more than one characteristic, combining, by the computing system, the assigned integer values for each characteristic of the set of characteristics that describe the information security label into an encoded information security label, said encoded information security label obfuscating each characteristic of the set of characteristics;
• and
• decoding the information security label, said decoding comprising:
• (a) identifying a base used in encoding the information security label;
• and
• (b) determining, by the computing system, a floor of a logarithm to the identified base of the encoded information security label to determine a value for a first characteristic of the set of characteristics;
• and
• a computer for executing the computer-executable instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media.