Patent ID: 7574598

Claim:
A system comprising: one or more data processors, wherein the data processors comprise: means for computing a representation for each of two or more encryptable objects; means for encrypting each of the encryptable objects using its own representation as an encryption key, said means for encrypting defining a plurality of cipher objects each of which corresponds to an encryptable object; and means for ascertaining from the cipher objects whether the corresponding encryptable objects are identical and further comprising: means for encrypting each representation with a different key to provide a plurality of encrypted representations; means for defining individual key identifiers; means for associating each of the key identifiers with an individual key; and means for building a plurality of ordered tuples, each of which comprises: a single cipher object that represents all of the two or more encryptable objects; at least one key identifier; and at least one encrypted representation each of which being associated with a corresponding key identifier.