Patent ID: 8352735

Claim:
A method for file access in a file encryption system, comprising: receiving an access request for an encrypted file by an application; determining if the application is authorized for access to the encrypted file by checking a name of the application and a file type of the encrypted file against a list of applications and types of files that the applications have been granted permission to access; upon determining that the application is authorized to access the encrypted file, further determining if the application is authorized for access to an unencrypted version of the encrypted file by calculating a hash value of contents of the application and checking the calculated hash value against a list of allowable hash values; and upon determining that the application is authorized for access to an unencrypted version of the encrypted file, decrypting the encrypted file and returning the decrypted file to the application, otherwise returning the encrypted file to the application; wherein the list of applications and types of files that the applications have been granted permission to access and the list of allowable hash values are administered by a security policy.