Securing digital content system and method

Abstract

A system and method of encrypting digital content in a digital container and securely locking the encrypted content to a particular user and/or computer or other computing device is provided. The system uses a token-based authentication and authorization procedure and involves the use of an authentication/authorization server. This system provides a high level of encryption security equivalent to that provided by public key/asymmetric cryptography without the complexity and expense of the associated PKI infrastructure. The system enjoys the simplicity and ease of use of single key/symmetric cryptography without the risk inherent in passing unsecured hidden keys. The secured digital container when locked to a user or user's device may not open or permit access to the contents if the digital container is transferred to another user's device. The digital container provides a secure technique of distributing electronic content such as videos, text, data, photos, financial data, sales solicitations, or the like.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for protecting electronic content, the method comprising the steps of:
 storing an asymmetric decryption key that is associated with a digital electronic container; 
 receiving client device footprint data from a client device; 
 creating a re-key value using both the client device footprint data and the stored an asymmetric decryption key that is associated with a digital electronic container; and 
 providing the re-key value to the client device for re-keying content data provided by of the electronic digital container at the client device wherein a predetermined data block of the content data stores contains a symmetric decryption key, the predetermined data block and stored the symmetric decryption key being previously encrypted using an asymmetric key technique, and wherein the content data is arranged into data blocks including the predetermined data block. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein all of the data blocks are encrypted using a systematic symmetric key technique. 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital electronic container is configured with executable instructions that are configured to execute at the client device to combine the client device footprint data and the re-key value to create a fingerprint key, the fingerprint key for decrypting the predetermined data block thereby providing access to the symmetric decryption key. 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the re-key value to the client device includes sending the re-key value as part of a permission token. 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the permission token includes a fingerprint key. 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving receives user input data and the step of creating produces a fingerprint key. 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the user input data includes any one or more of: financial transaction data, expiration data, an email address, demographic data, financial data, account data, credit data, a social security number and identifying data. 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of creating uses a container identifier associated with the digital electronic container to produce a fingerprint key. 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the providing step sends the re-key value and the fingerprint key as part of a permission token. 
     
     
       10. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that when read and executed by a computer processor executes the following steps:
 storing an asymmetric decryption key that is associated with a digital electronic container; 
 receiving client device footprint data from a client device; 
 creating a re-key value using both the client device footprint data and the stored an asymmetric decryption key that is associated with a digital electronic container; and 
 providing the re-key value to the client device for re-keying content data provided by the digital electronic container to the client device wherein a predetermined data block of the content data stores contains a symmetric decryption key, the predetermined data block and stored the symmetric decryption key being previously encrypted using an asymmetric key technique, and wherein the content data is arranged into data blocks including the predetermined data block. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer program product  claim 10 , wherein all of the data blocks are encrypted using a systematic symmetric key technique. 
     
     
       12. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the digital electronic container is configured with executable instructions that are configured to execute at the client device to combine the client device footprint data and the re-key value to create a fingerprint key, the fingerprint key for decrypting the predetermined data block thereby accessing the symmetric decryption key. 
     
     
       13. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the step of providing the re-key value to the client device includes providing the re-key value as part of a permission token. 
     
     
       14. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the permission token includes a fingerprint key. 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the step of receiving receives user input data and the step of combining produces a fingerprint key. 
     
     
       16. The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the user input data includes any one or more of: financial data, account data, credit data, a social security number and identifying data.