Believably trustworthy enforcement of privacy enhancing technologies in data processing
Systems and methods for trustworthy enforcement of privacy enhancing technologies within a data processing system enable data processing systems to communicate a believable statement that privacy is being protected in a trustworthy fashion. The invention includes providing for trustworthy enforcement of privacy enhancing technologies by establishing a standardized scheme for a privacy certification and routine inspection of data processing systems implementing privacy enhancing technologies. The regime of certification and inspection may be coupled with other technologies such as cryptography, tamper-evident computing, and runtime security enforcement.
1 . A system, comprising:
a first computer that is in communication with a second computer, wherein the first computer comprises a privacy enhancing technology; and
a certifier for ensuring that the privacy enhancing technology is being implemented on the first computer, wherein a certification is communicated to the second computer regarding the implementation of the privacy enhancing technology on the first computer.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computer comprises hardware and wherein the privacy enhancing technology provides security for the hardware.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computer comprises software and wherein the privacy enhancing technology provides security for the software.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy enhancing technology provides cryptographically-protected data.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy enhancing technology provides tamper-evident software.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy enhancing technology provides tamper-evident hardware.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the privacy enhancing technology provides runtime security enforcement.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the certifier communicates the certification to the second computer.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the certifier is a third-party certifier.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the certifier is local to one of the first computer and the second computer.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computer is a server and the second computer is a client of the first computer.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second computer is a server and the first computer is a client of the second computer.
13 . A system, comprising:
first privacy enhancing technology by providing cryptographically-protected data;
second privacy enhancing technology by providing secure software;
third privacy enhancing technology by providing secure hardware; and
a certifier for ensuring that the first, second, and third privacy enhancing technologies are being implemented on the system.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the certifier provides a certification regarding the implementation of the first, second, and third privacy enhancing technologies to a computer in communication with the system.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first, second, and third privacy enhancing technologies provides runtime security enforcement.
16 . A method comprising:
verifying that software on a computer comprises privacy enhancing technology;
verifying that hardware on the computer comprises privacy enhancing technology; and
sending a certification indicating that the hardware and software on the computer comprises privacy enhancing technology.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the certification is encrypted.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein sending the certification comprises sending the certification to a client of the computer.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein sending the certification comprises sending the certification from a client of the computer to the computer.
20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the computer comprises cryptographically-protected data.
21 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the computer comprises tamper-evident software.
22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the computer comprises tamper-evident hardware.
23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the computer comprises runtime security enforcement.
24 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing the certification from a third-party certifier.
25 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving data at the computer, wherein the certification comprises a condition regarding a use of the data.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the condition is deletion of the data.
27 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising verifying compliance with the condition.
28 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:
verifying that software on a computer comprises privacy enhancing technology;
verifying that hardware on the computer comprises privacy enhancing technology; and
preparing a certification indicating that the hardware and software on the computer comprises privacy enhancing technology.
29 . The computer-readable medium of claim 28 , having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of sending the certification to a second computer.
30 . A method, comprising:
sending a request from a first computer for a certification regarding implementation of a privacy enhancing technology on a second computer; and
receiving the certification at the first computer.
31 . The method of claim 30 , further comprising verifying at the first computer the authenticity of the certification.
32 . The method of claim 30 , further comprising:
establishing a condition regarding use of data located on the first computer; and
sending the data from the first computer to the second computer.
33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the condition comprises deletion of the data.
34 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the condition requires private information included in the data to remain private.
35 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the first computer is a server and the second computer is a client of the first computer.
36 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the second computer is a server and the first computer is a client of the second computer.