Systems and methods for expiring digital assets using encryption key
Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system.
1 . A method of preventing access to an expired digital asset, the method comprising:
(a) encrypting a digital asset using an encryption key, the digital asset associated with a tag specifying a time after which the digital asset should be unavailable, the encryption key having a predetermined expiration time; and
(b) destroying the encryption key after the predetermined time.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising marking the digital asset for expiration prior to encrypting the digital asset.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
copying the encrypted digital asset from a file system to another storage medium;
copying the encryption key to the another storage medium; and
wherein the destroying comprises, destroying the encryption key on the another storage medium after the predetermined time.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the encrypting comprises encrypting a plurality of digital assets using a single encryption key.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the encrypting comprises encrypting a plurality of digital assets using a respective encryption key for each digital asset of the plurality of digital assets.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the encryption is performed by a file system filter driver.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the encryption is performed by a plug-in module.
8 . A system for preventing access to an expired digital asset, the system comprising:
a computing device having an application thereon that encrypts a digital asset using an encryption key, the digital asset associated with a tag specifying a time after which the digital asset should be unavailable, the encryption key having a predetermined expiration time, and destroys the encryption key after the predetermined time.
9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the digital asset is marked for expiration prior to encrypting the digital asset.
10 . The system of claim 8 wherein the computing device copies the digital asset from a file system of the computing device to another storage medium, copies the encryption key to the another storage medium.
11 . The system of claim 8 wherein a plurality of digital assets are encrypted using a single encryption key.
12 . The system of claim 8 wherein a plurality of digital assets are encrypted using a respective encryption key for each digital asset.
13 . The system of claim 8 further comprising a file system filter driver in communication with the computing device to encrypt the digital asset.
14 . The system of claim 8 further comprising a plug-in module in communication with the computing device to encrypt the digital asset.
15 . A computer readable medium having executable instructions thereon to prevent access to an expired digital asset, the computer readable medium comprising:
(a) instructions to encrypt a digital asset using an encryption key, the digital asset associated with a tag specifying a time after which the digital asset should be unavailable, the encryption key having a predetermined expiration time; and
(b) destroying the encryption key after the predetermined time.
16 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising marking the digital asset for expiration prior to encrypting the digital asset.
17 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions to copy the encrypted digital asset from a file system to another storage medium, instructions to copy the encryption key to the another storage medium, and instructions to destroy the encryption key after the predetermined time.
18 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions to encrypt comprise instructions to encrypt a plurality of digital assets using a single encryption key.
19 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions to encrypt comprise instructions to encrypt a plurality of digital assets using a respective encryption key for each digital asset of the plurality of digital assets.
20 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein at least some of the instructions are performed by a file system filter driver.
21 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein at least some of the instructions are performed by a plug-in module.