Method and system for providing document retention using cryptography

A method for accessing a secured electronic document by a requestor, the secured electronic document having at least a header portion and an encrypted data portion, comprising:

• obtaining a retention access key, the retention access key being used to enforce a document retention policy on the secured electronic document;
• obtaining an encrypted document key from the header portion of the secured electronic document;
• decrypting the encrypted document key using the retention access key to produce a document key;
• and
• decrypting the encrypted data portion of the secured electronic document using the document key to produce a data portion,
• wherein the document retention policy is dependent on a future event that is presently unscheduled, wherein the document retention policy expires at a determined time after the future event occurs, and wherein the future event is scheduled after the document retention policy is associated with the electronic document.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having control logic recorded thereon that, in response to execution by a processor in a computing system, causes the processor to perform operations to restrict access to an electronic document, the operations comprising:

• identifying an electronic document to be secured, the electronic document having at least a data portion that contains data;
• encrypting the data portion of the electronic document using a document key to produce an encrypted data portion;
• encrypting the document key using a retention access key to produce an encrypted document key, the retention access key being used to enforce a document retention policy on the electronic document;
• and
• forming a secured electronic document based on at least the encrypted data portion and the encrypted document key,
• wherein the document retention policy is dependent on a future event that is presently unscheduled, wherein the document retention policy expires at a determined time after the future event occurs, and wherein the future event is scheduled after the document retention policy is associated with the electronic document.