System for enabling lazy-revocation through recursive key generation

1. A method of enabling lazy-revocation in a cryptographic file system, said method comprising:

revoking access of a user of a plurality of users to a file;

generating a new version of a key using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to a current version of said key;

encrypting said file with said new version of said key in response to an update of said file; and

generating a previous version of said key based on said new version of said key to access a previous version of said file by applying a public key to said new version of said key.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

distributing said new version of said key to at least one authorized user in response to said update of said file.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said public key is part of an asymmetric public/private key pair of said file owner.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the private key is a private key of a file owner of said file.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said private key is part of an asymmetric public/private key pair of the said file owner.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said current version of said key is a symmetric key and said new version of said key is generated utilizing an asymmetric private/public key pair of said file owner.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said current version of said key is an asymmetric key and said new version of said key is generated utilizing an asymmetric private/public key pair of said file owner.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said asymmetric private/public key pair of said file owner is generated by an El Gamal asymmetric crypto-system.

9. A method of managing files in a file system, said method comprising:

revoking access of a user of a plurality of users to a file, wherein the file is a new version of the file and the access of the user is not revoked for previous versions of the same file;

generating a new key from a current key of said file in response to said revocation using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the current key; and

encrypting said file with said new key.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the private key is a private key of an owner of said file.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

accessing a previous version of said file; and

generating a respective previous version of the current key by applying a public key to said current key.

12. A method of accessing files, comprising:

determining a version of a first key used to encrypt a version of a file, wherein different versions of the file are encrypted with different versions of the first key used to encrypt the file and wherein the different versions of the first key are created using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the first key;

determining a version of a second key;

accessing said file in response to said version of said first key used to encrypt the file and said version of said second key matching; and

generating a previous version of said second key by applying a public key of an owner of said version of the file to the second key in response to said version of said first key used to encrypt the file being older than said version of said second key.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

requesting access from an owner of said file in response to said version of said second key being older than said version of said first key.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the private key is a private key of said owner of said file.

15. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

recursively generating another previous version of said second key from said second key until said version of said second key matches said version of said first key.

16. A method for accessing files, comprising:

determining a version of a first key used to encrypt a version of a file, wherein different versions of the file are encrypted with different versions of the first key used to encrypt the file and wherein the different versions of the first key are created using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the first key;

determining a version of a second key; and

recursively generating a previous version of said second key by applying a public key of an owner of said version of the file to said second key until said version of said second key matches said version of said first key in response to said version of said first key used to encrypt the file being older than said version of said second key.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein said generation of said previous version of said second key utilizes an asymmetric public key of said owner of said file.

18. A method of managing files in a file system, said method comprising:

revoking access of a user of a plurality of users to a file, wherein the file is a new version of the file and the access of the user is not revoked for previous versions of the same file;

generating a new key using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to a current key of said file in response to said revocation; and

encrypting said file with said new key.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said private key is a private key of an owner of said file.

20. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

accessing a previous version of said file; and

generating a respective previous version of a key from said current key by applying a public key to said current key.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein generation of said respective previous version of said key utilizes an asymmetric public key of an owner of said file.

22. A system for managing files, comprising:

a file system configured to store files and provide access to said files;

a user station; and

a security module configured to be executed on said user station, wherein said security module is configured to revoke access of a user of a plurality of users to a file wherein the file is a new version of the file and the access of the user is not revoked for previous versions of the same file, is also configured to generate a new key from a current key using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the current key of said file stored on said file system in response to said revocation, and is further configured to encrypt said file with said new key.

23. The system according to claim 22 , wherein said security module is further configured to distribute said new version of said key to at least one authorized user in response to said update of said file.

24. The system according to claim 22 , wherein said security module is further configured to generate a previous version of said key by applying a public key to said new version of said key to access a previous version of said file.

25. The system according to claim 24 , wherein said security module is further configured to receive a asymmetric public key of a file owner of said file, wherein said generation comprises generating said previous version of said key utilizing said asymmetric public key of said file owner of said file.

26. The system according to claim 22 , wherein said generation of said new version of said key utilizes an asymmetric private key of a file owner of said file.

27. A system for accessing files comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor; and

a security module residing in said memory and executed by said at least one processor, wherein said security module is configured to determining a version of a first key used to encrypt a version of a file, wherein different versions of the file are encrypted with different versions of the first key and wherein different versions of the first key are created using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the first key, and wherein the security module is also configured to determine a version of a second key, and is further configured to access said file in response to said version of said first key used to encrypt the file and said version of said second key matching, and generate a previous version of said second key by applying a public key of an owner of said version of the file to the second key in response to said version of said first key used to encrypt the file being older than said version of said second key.

28. The system according to claim 27 , wherein said security module is further configured to generate a previous version of said second key in response to said version of said file being older than said version of said second key.

29. The system according to claim 28 , further comprising:

recursively generating another previous version of said second key from said first key until said version of said second key matches said version of said file.

30. A computer readable medium upon which is stored a computer program including instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the instructions, comprising:

means for determining a version of a first key used to encrypt a version of a file, wherein different versions of the file are encrypted with different versions of the first key used to encrypt the file and wherein different versions of the first key are created using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the first key;

means for determining a version of a second key; and

means for recursively generating a previous version of said second key by applying a public key to said second key until said version of said second key matches said version of said first key in response to said version of said first key used to encrypt the file being older than said version of said second key.

31. The computer readable medium according to claim 30 , further comprising:

means for requesting access from an owner of said file in response to said version of said key being older than said version of said file.

32. The computer readable medium according to claim 30 , wherein said generation of said previous version of said key utilizes an asymmetric public key of said owner of said file.

33. A computer readable medium upon which is stored a computer program including instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the instructions, comprising:

means for revoking access of a user of a plurality of users to a file, wherein the file is a new version of the file and the access of the user is not revoked for previous versions of the same file;

means for generating a new key from a current key of said file in response to said revocation wherein the new key is created using a recursive key generation process by applying a private key to the current key; and

means for encrypting said file with said new key.

34. The computer readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein said private key is an asymmetric private key of an owner of said file.

35. The computer readable medium according to claim 33 , further comprising:

means for accessing a previous version of said file; and

means for generating a respective previous version of a key from said current key by applying a public key to the current key.

36. The computer readable medium according to claim 35 , wherein said public key is an asymmetric public key of an owner of said file.