Distributed protection of credential stores utilizing multiple keys derived from a master key

1. A method comprising:

generating, at a user device configured for communication with a distributed verification system over a network, first and second keys from a master key for a credential store;

providing the first key to the distributed verification system;

encrypting the credential store based at least in part on the second key; and

providing the encrypted credential store to the distributed verification system, the distributed verification system comprising a controller configured to authenticate a user attempting to access the credential store;

wherein encrypting the credential store based at least in part on the second key comprises encrypting the credential store utilizing the second key and information that is stored in a distributed manner over a plurality of servers of the distributed verification system;

wherein said generating, providing the first key, encrypting, and providing the encrypted credential store are performed by at least one processing device comprising a hardware processor coupled to a memory; and

wherein encrypting the credential store based at least in part on the second key comprises:

generating a ciphertext by encrypting the credential store utilizing the second key;

obtaining a third key; and

encrypting the ciphertext utilizing the third key to generate the encrypted credential store that is provided to the distributed verification system;

wherein the information that is stored in a distributed manner over the plurality of servers of the distributed verification system comprises the third key.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the third key comprises generating the third key in the processing device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing the third key to the distributed verification system for distributed storage over the plurality of servers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the third key comprises receiving shares of the third key in the processing device from respective ones of the servers of the distributed verification system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the third key is generated by random selection from a designated key space.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second keys are generated by applying respective keyed hash functions to the master key.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the master key comprises a master password MP and the first and second keys are given by MK 0 =h κ 0 [MP] and MK 1 =h κ 1 [MP], where h κ (P)→{0,1} l denotes a keyed hash function with key κ, l is a security parameter, and {κ 0 , κ 1 } are independent, randomly generated keys.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein providing the first key to the distributed verification system comprises registering MK 0 as a hashed password with the distributed verification system for controlling access to the encrypted credential store.

9. A method comprising:

generating, at a user device configured for communication with a distributed verification system over a network, first and second keys from a master key for a credential store;

providing the first key to the distributed verification system;

encrypting the credential store based at least in part on the second key; and

providing the encrypted credential store to the distributed verification system, the distributed verification system comprising a controller configured to authenticate a user attempting to access the credential store;

wherein encrypting the credential store based at least in part on the second key comprises encrypting the credential store utilizing the second key and information that is stored in a distributed manner over a plurality of servers of the distributed verification system;

wherein said generating, providing the first key, encrypting, and providing the encrypted credential store are performed by at least one processing device comprising a hardware processor coupled to a memory; and

wherein encrypting the credential store based at least in part on the second key comprises encrypting the credential store utilizing a combination of the second key and a third key that is stored in a distributed manner over the plurality of servers of the distributed verification system.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

authenticating to the distributed verification system utilizing the first key;

responsive to successful authentication, receiving the encrypted credential store from the distributed verification system; and

decrypting the encrypted credential store based at least in part on the second key to recover the credential store.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein decrypting the encrypted credential store based at least in part on the second key comprises:

obtaining the third key;

decrypting the received encrypted credential store utilizing the third key to obtain a ciphertext; and

decrypting the ciphertext utilizing the second key to recover the credential store.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein decrypting the encrypted credential store based at least in part on the second key comprises:

obtaining the third key;

combining the second key and the third key to generate a combined key; and

decrypting the encrypted credential store utilizing the combined key.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having embodied therein one or more software programs, wherein the one or more software programs when executed by said at least one processing device cause the method of claim 1 to be performed.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a user device configured for communication with a distributed verification system over a network;

the user device comprising a hardware processor coupled to a memory;

wherein said user device is further configured:

to generate first and second keys from a master key for a credential store;

to provide the first key to the distributed verification system;

to encrypt the credential store based at least in part on the second key; and

to provide the encrypted credential store to the distributed verification system, the distributed verification system comprising a controller configured to authenticate a user attempting to access the credential store;

wherein the credential store is encrypted utilizing the second key and information that is stored in a distributed manner over a plurality of servers of the distributed verification system;

wherein encryption of the credential store comprises generating a ciphertext by encrypting the credential store utilizing the second key, obtaining a third key, and encrypting the ciphertext utilizing the third key to generate the encrypted credential store that is provided to the distributed verification system; and

wherein the information that is stored in a distributed manner over the plurality of servers of the distributed verification system comprises the third key.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said user device comprises one of a computer and a mobile telephone.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, from a user device, a first key in a distributed verification system, the distributed verification system being configured to communicate with the user device over a network, the first key being generated from a master key for a credential store;

receiving an encrypted version of the credential store, the encrypted credential store being encrypted based at least in part on a second key generated from the master key and information that is stored in a distributed manner over a plurality of servers of the distributed verification system, the distributed verification system comprising a controller configured to authenticate a user attempting to access the credential store; and

utilizing the first key to control access to the encrypted credential store;

wherein said receiving a first key, receiving an encrypted version of the credential store, and utilizing the first key to control access are performed by at least one processing device comprising a hardware processor coupled to a memory;

wherein encryption of the credential store comprises generating a ciphertext by encrypting the credential store utilizing the second key, obtaining a third key, and encrypting the ciphertext utilizing the third key to generate the encrypted credential store that is received by the distributed verification system; and

wherein the information that is stored in a distributed manner over the plurality of servers of the distributed verification system comprises the third key.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein utilizing the first key to control access to the encrypted credential store comprises:

utilizing the first key to authenticate a user associated with the user device; and

responsive to successful authentication of the user, providing the encrypted credential store to the user device;

wherein the user device decrypts the encrypted credential store based at least in part on the second key to recover the credential store.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a distributed verification system configured for communication with a user device over a network;

wherein the distributed verification system comprises one or more processing devices each having a hardware processor coupled to a memory and is further configured:

to receive from the user device a first key generated from a master key for a credential store;

to receive from the user device an encrypted version of the credential store, the encrypted credential store being encrypted by the user device based at least in part on a second key generated from the master key and information that is stored in a distributed manner over a plurality of servers of the distributed verification system, the distributed verification system comprising a controller configured to authenticate a user attempting to access the credential store; and

to utilize the first key to control access to the encrypted credential store;

wherein encryption of the credential store comprises generating a ciphertext by encrypting the credential store utilizing the second key, obtaining a third key, and encrypting the ciphertext utilizing the third key to generate the encrypted credential store that is received by the distributed verification system; and

wherein the information that is stored in a distributed manner over the plurality of servers of the distributed verification system comprises the third key.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the servers of the distributed verification system are implemented on respective distinct ones of a plurality of processing devices.