Patent ID: 8707035

Claim:
A synchronization system operating on a client system for synchronizing files and providing sharing capabilities, comprising: a sync root folder for storing items to be synchronized with a remote datastore, the sync root folder comprising: at least one not-shared-key folder for storing items to be encrypted with a not-shared key and to be synchronized with the remote datastore, wherein the not-shared key is not shared with the remote datastore; and at least one shared-key folder for storing items to be encrypted with a shared key and to be synchronized with the remote datastore, wherein at least the client system and the remote datastore have access to the shared key; a folder encryption map that associates the not-shared key with the at least one not-shared-key folder and associates the shared key with the at least one shared-key folder; and a differential encryption component, communicatively coupled to the sync root folder, that, responsive to an item changing within the sync root folder, interfaces with the folder encryption map to access and encrypt the item to be transmitted to and stored at the remote datastore.