Patent ID: 9563783
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. A method for handling group sharing in a distributed data storage environment, wherein specified files, directories and Key Lock Boxes of a given user or a given device of group member devices are stored in a manner that the specified files can be retrieved from the distributed data storage system, the method comprising: storing a set of keys in said Key Lock Boxes, wherein generating, by only the group member devices, a common group key by using a key exchange protocol between said group member devices; assigning one specific Key Lock Box (KLB) among said Key Lock Boxes as a Master Key Lock Box (MKLB), wherein encrypting said Key Lock Boxes with unique keys; storing the unique keys of each file, directory, or KLB in its parent KLB; encrypting, by a group member device of said group member devices, said MKLB with the generated common group key; decrypting said MKLB by using the generated common group key to obtain a first set of keys, wherein decrypting, downwards in the oriented tree graph, a KLB among said Key Lock Boxes by using said unique key of said first set of keys to obtain the second set of keys, wherein the first set of keys are different than the second set of keys; decrypting, downwards in the oriented tree graph, until a key of a requested file or directory is obtained; and decrypting file or directory with said obtained key, wherein