Patent ID: 7860246

Claim:
A processor-implemented method of protecting data in a secure system, comprising: generating a backup key; encrypting a plurality of long-lived secrets by the backup key; generating an initialization file using an initialization module utilizing the initialization file to store the encrypted plurality of long-lived secrets that are not changed recurrently; encoding the initialization file by the backup key; saving the encoded initialization file; restoring the saved encoded initialization file to recover the backup key; generating an initial state file using the initialization module; utilizing the initial state file to record state variables that change with the transaction; encoding the initial state file by the recovered backup key; encrypting the encoded initialization file and the encoded initial state file with a new backup key; loading the encrypted initialization file and a selected rollback state file; utilizing a current state file; saving the current state file; restoring the encoded initial state file; loading the restored initial state file and the selected rollback state file; generating a distribution plan for distributing a plurality of cryptographic splits of the backup key to a plurality of clients, including: providing geographic and organizational diversity for distribution of the cryptographic splits; and specifying a first predetermined number, M, of the cryptographic splits to be generated and a second predetermined number, N, of the cryptographic splits required to recover the backup key; generating the number, M, of cryptographic splits; distributing the number, M, of cryptographic splits according to the distribution plan; and utilizing the backup key to protect the encrypted plurality of long-lived secrets during a plurality of system processes.