Method and apparatus for hardware based file/document expiry timer enforcement

1. A machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

request a trusted execution environment to generate an encryption key and a certificate for a document, the certificate including expiry information for the document, the expiry information and the encryption key associated with the certificate, the certificate associated with an identification of the document, the expiry information indicating a time period for which the encryption key is valid to perform a decryption operation on an encrypted version of the document, and (i) the document, (ii) the expiry information, and (iii) the encryption key associated with the identification of the document;

encrypt the document with the encryption key;

transmit the certificate for the document to a first remote network storage device; and

transmit the encrypted version of the document to a second remote network storage device.

2. The machine readable storage device or storage disk of claim 1 , wherein the expiry information indicates a time after which decryption of the encrypted version of the document is to be prevented.

3. The machine readable storage device or storage disk of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to request the trusted execution environment to generate the encryption key and the certificate for the document by instructing the trusted execution environment to generate the expiry information based on a clock secured by the trusted execution environment.

4. The machine readable storage device or storage disk of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to request the trusted execution environment to generate the encryption key and the certificate for the document by instructing the trusted execution environment to generate the expiry information based on a policy directed by a key manager that is remote from the machine.

5. The machine readable storage device or storage disk of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to encrypt the document with the encryption key in a general execution environment of the machine, the trusted execution environment isolated from the general execution environment and to provide a higher level of security than the general execution environment.

6. The machine readable storage device or storage disk of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to associate the identification of the document with the encrypted version of the document.

7. The machine readable storage device or storage disk of claim 1 , wherein the first remote network storage device is different from the second remote network storage device.

8. A system comprising:

a trusted execution environment to generate an encryption key and a certificate for a document, the certificate including expiry information for the document, the expiry information and the encryption key associated with the certificate, the certificate associated with an identifier of the document, the expiry information indicating a time period for which the encryption key is valid, and (i) the document, (ii) the expiry information, and (iii) the encryption key associated with the identifier of the document; and

a general execution environment to:

encrypt the document with the encryption key;

transmit the certificate to a first remote network storage device; and

transmit an encrypted version of the document to a second remote network storage device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the expiry information indicates a time after which decryption of the encrypted version of the document will be prevented.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the trusted execution environment is to generate the expiry information using a clock secured by the trusted execution environment.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the trusted execution environment is to generate the expiry information using a policy directed by a key manager that is remote from the system.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the trusted execution environment is isolated from the general execution environment, the trusted execution environment to provide a higher level of security than the general execution environment.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the general execution environment is to associate the identifier of the document with the encrypted version of the document.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first remote network storage device is different from the second remote network storage device.

15. A method comprising:

instructing, by executing an instruction with a processor, a trusted execution environment to generate an encryption key and a certificate for a document, the certificate including expiry information for the document, the expiry information and the encryption key associated with the certificate, the certificate associated with identification information of the document, the expiry information indicative of a time period during which the encryption key is valid to decrypt an encrypted version of the document, and (i) the document, (ii) the expiry information, and (iii) the encryption key associated with the identification information of the document;

encrypting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the document using the encryption key;

transmitting the certificate to a first remote network storage device; and

transmitting the encrypted version of the document to a second remote network storage device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expiry information is indicative of a time after which decryption of the encrypted version of the document will be prevented.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the instructing of the trusted execution environment to generate the encryption key and the certificate for the document includes instructing the trusted execution environment to generate the expiry information using a clock secured by the trusted execution environment.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the instructing of the trusted execution environment to generate the encryption key and the certificate for the document includes instructing the trusted execution environment to generate the expiry information using a policy directed by a key manager that is remote to the processor.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the encrypting of the document with the encryption key is performed in a general execution environment, the trusted execution environment isolated from the general execution environment, the trusted execution environment to provide a higher level of security than the general execution environment.

20. The method of claim 15 , further including associating the identification information of the document with the encrypted version of the document.