Patent ID: 8494167

Claim:
A computer implemented method for restoring an encrypted file, the computer implemented method comprising: a computer receiving a command to restore an encrypted file, wherein the encrypted file was previously backed up; the computer identifying a user associated with the encrypted file; the computer looking up a first keystore of the user based on the user, the first keystore having an active private key; the computer determining that a public key of the encrypted file fails to match an active public key of the first keystore; the computer restoring a second keystore of the user to form a restored private key, wherein the second keystore was previously backed up; the computer, responsive to a determination that the public key of the encrypted file fails to match the active public key of the first keystore, determining that a second user active public key of the second keystore matches the public key of the encrypted file; responsive to a determination that the second user active public key of the second keystore matches the public key of the encrypted file, decrypting an encrypted file encryption key based on the restored private key to crypto metadata of the file to form the file encryption key; and the computer encrypting the file encryption key with the active private key of the first keystore, wherein encrypting further comprises: encrypting the file encryption key with the active private key to form replacement crypto metadata of the file; and replacing the crypto metadata of the file with replacement crypto metadata of the file, wherein the active private key is not a deprecated private key, and wherein the active public key is not a deprecated public key.