IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,934,388
Granted Patent B2
US 9,934,388 · App. 14/622,961 · Granted Apr 3, 2018

Method and system for database encryption

Inventors: Yuval Elovici (Arugot, IL); Ronen Vaisenberg (Beer Sheva, IL); Erez Shmueli (Beer Sheva, IL)
Assignee: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Research and Development Authority
G06F21/602G06F21/6227H04L9/002H04L9/008H04L9/0618H04L9/0894H04L63/0435G06F17/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,934,388
App. No.
14/622,961
Granted
Apr 3, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for encrypting a database, according to which a dedicated encryption module is placed inside a Database Management Software above a database cache. Each value of the database is encrypted together with the coordinates of said value using a dedicated encryption method, which assumes the existence of an internal cell identifier that can be queried but not tampered.

Claims (23)

1. A database residing on a database server comprising a memory with a database cache and at least one hardware processor, for encrypting sensitive information, the at least one hardware processor comprising:

a) a Database Management Software (DBMS) module for performing encryption/decryption operations of data;

b) a dedicated encryption module being inside said DBMS module in a layer belonging to a layered application architecture and being above said database cache, said dedicated encryption module is being transparent to the application layer and is adapted to encrypt each value of said database together with the coordinates of said value using a dedicated encryption method, which is implemented according to:

E nc k ( V trc )= E k (μ( t,r,c )⊕ V trc );

wherein

V trc —is a plaintext value located in a table t, row r and column c;

μ: (N×N×N)→N is a function generating a unique number, based on said cell coordinates;

k is an encryption key;

E k is a symmetric encryption function; and

E nc k is a function which encrypts a plaintext value with said coordinates of said value.

2. The database according to claim 1 , wherein V trc is decrypted by a decryption method, which is symmetric to said encryption method and is defined according to:

D ec k ( X trc )μ( t,r,c )⊕ D k ( X trc )= V trc ;

wherein

X trc =E nc k (V trc );

D k (X trc ) is a symmetric decryption function that suits E k; and

D ec k is a function which decrypts a ciphertext value (X trc ).

3. The database according to claim 1 , wherein whenever the range of valid plaintext values is not significantly smaller than the whole possible range, or invalid plaintext values cannot be distinguished from valid plaintext values, said encryption method is implemented according to:

E nc k ( V trc )= E k (μ( t,r,c )∥ V trc );

wherein

∥ stands for concatenation.

4. The database according to claim 1 , wherein the coordinates of a value are a table, row and column.

5. The database according to claim 1 , wherein indexes of said database are constructed on encrypted columns in the exact same way that said indexes were constructed on non-encrypted columns.

6. The database according to claim 1 , wherein database backup operations at the database file granularity level are performed without the need to encrypt or decrypt data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2015
From: ELOVICI, YUVAL; VAISENBERG, RONEN; SHMUELI, EREZ
To: BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Reel/Frame 035581/0638 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 14108783 · Dec 17, 2013
Continuation 11628284
Provisional Application 60575379 · Jun 1, 2004
Related Publication 20150178506A1 · Jun 25, 2015