Cryptographic method and system

Abstract

In the field of security for electronic data and/or communications, a method of providing data security and/or privacy in a distributed and/or decentralised network environment. Private collaboration and/or information sharing between users, agents and/or applications is enabled, as well as the sharing of key(s) and/or content between a first user and/or agent and a second user and/or agent. The sharing may be of encrypted information via information sharing services.

1 . A method of accessing encrypted content via one or more data stores accessible by a first user having a first computer, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a first blob to a first data store, the first blob comprising encrypted content, encrypted with a first content key;   providing a second blob to a second data store, the second blob comprising an encrypted first content key;   providing the first and second blobs and rights management criteria for use by the first computer;   decrypting the second blob by the first computer to obtain the first content key and enabling the decryption of the first blob to obtain unencrypted content; and   providing the unencrypted content by the first computer to the first user via a client-side application,   wherein the client-side application controls operations available that the first user can perform on the content in accordance with the rights management criteria.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a second user has a second computer, further comprising:
 providing the first blob and the second blob and the rights management criteria for use by the second computer;   decrypting the second blob by the second computer to obtain the first content key and enabling the decryption the first blob to obtain the unencrypted content; and   providing the unencrypted content by the second computer to the second user via a second client-side application,   wherein the second client-side application controls operations available that the second user can perform on the content in accordance with the rights management criteria.   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first blob remains on the first computer. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first computer pulls the first blob from the first data store. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first data store pushes the first blob to the first computer. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first blob is replicated to the second computer. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first blob on the first computer is synchronised with the first blob stored in the first data store. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first computer stores the first blob and by replication or synchronisation the first blob is provided to the first data store. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first data store and the second data store are the same data store 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of first blobs, corresponding to a plurality of corresponding content, are provided to a plurality of data stores. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the second blob or a plurality of second blobs corresponding to the plurality of first blobs is provided to the plurality of data stores. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of computers provide to a plurality of data stores, a plurality of first blobs corresponding to a plurality of corresponding content. 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , further wherein the second blob or a plurality of second blobs corresponding to the plurality of first blobs is provided to the plurality of data stores. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second blob further comprises a permit. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rights management criteria comprises any one or any combination of restricting and/or controlling decryption, copying, saving, printing, copying to clipboard, watermarking and/or access times. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the client-side application is an agent adapted to make use of at-rest encrypted content and control what the second user can or can't do with content. 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the client-side application is:
 a viewer   an enforcing application   a reader, or   an application   which enables specific rights either directly granted to the respective user or obtained in real-time from a rights management server.