Secure caching technique for shared distributed caches

1. A method for secure caching, comprising:

generating a random mask value M;

encrypting the random mask value M using a secret key SK to provide an encrypted mask value M; and

storing the encrypted mask value M in a cache using a cache key CK, wherein the encrypted mask value M can be retrieved from the cache using the cache key CK;

encrypting a key K of a key/value pair using the mask value M to provide a secure encrypted key in memory of a computer system communicatively coupled to a distributed cache shared amongst different computer systems, the key K of the key/value pair corresponding to a value in the key/value pair to be stored in the distributed cache; and

storing the value in the key/value pair in the distributed cache using the secure encrypted key.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

retrieving the value from the cache using the secure key.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting the key K further comprises:

providing a mask value M; and

applying a masking algorithm to the key K using the mask value M to provide the secure key.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein providing the mask value M further comprises:

retrieving an encrypted mask value M from the cache; and

decrypting the encrypted mask value M using a secret key SK.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the cache comprises a distributed cache shared by a plurality of parties, further comprising:

securely distributing the secret key SK to the plurality of parties.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

periodically regenerating the mask value M.

7. A system for secure caching, comprising:

a distributed cache shared amongst different computing systems;

a computer system with processor and memory communicatively coupled to the distributed cache; and,

a secure caching system executing in the memory of the computer system by the processor of the computer system, the secure caching system comprising program code enabled to generate a random mask value M; encrypt the random mask value M using a secret key SK to provide an encrypted mask value M; and store the encrypted mask value M in the secure caching system using a cache key CK, wherein the encrypted mask value M can be retrieved from the secure caching system using the cache key CK; encrypt a key K using the mask value M of a key/value pair to provide a secure encrypted key, the key K of the key/value pair corresponding to a value of the key/value pair to be stored in the distributed cache and to store the value of the key/value pair in the distributed cache using the secure encrypted key.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer usable program code for secure caching, the computer usable program code when executed by a computer the steps of:

generating a random mask value M;

encrypting the random mask value M using a secret key SK to provide an encrypted mask value M; and

storing the encrypted mask value M in a cache using a cache key CK, wherein the encrypted mask value M can be retrieved from the cache using the cache key CK;

encrypting a key K of a key/value pair using the mask value M to provide a secure encrypted key in memory of a computer system communicatively coupled to a distributed cache shared amongst different computer systems, the key K of the key/value pair corresponding to a value in the key/value pair to be stored in the distributed cache; and

storing the value in the key/value pair in the distributed cache using the secure encrypted key.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising program code for performing the step of:

retrieving the value from the cache using the secure key.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the program code for encrypting the key K further comprises program code for performing the steps of:

providing a mask value M; and

applying a masking algorithm to the key K using the mask value M to provide the secure key.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , further comprising program code for performing the step of:

periodically regenerating the mask value M.