Patent ID: 8443456

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting, by a processor of a computing device, a network communication regarding transmission of a file for storage within an external storage provider network wherein the file is transmitted from a first private network, and the external storage provider network is outside of the first private network; causing, by the processor, encryption of the file to obtain an encrypted file, wherein an external storage provider is denied decrypted access to the encrypted file; associating, by the processor, authorization information with the encrypted file, wherein the authorization information comprises one or more restrictions on access to the encrypted file; transmitting the encrypted file for storage by the external storage provider within the external storage provider network; after transmitting, intercepting, by the processor, a request for access to the file; identifying, by the processor, requestor information regarding a requestor associated with the request, wherein the request for access is initiated within a second private network, and the external storage provider network is outside of the second private network; determining, by the processor, using the requestor information and a portion of the authorization information, that the requestor is authorized to access the encrypted file; causing, by the processor, decryption of the encrypted file to obtain the original file; and providing, to the requestor, by the processor, access to the original file.