Patent ID: 7451315

Claim:
A computing device-implemented method used to enable verification of data integrity by a party with whom at least a part of the data are made available to be shared, wherein the data include the part of the data to be shared and any other part of the data that is not to be shared, and wherein the data are arranged in structured components, each structured component comprising a plurality of sub-components, the method comprising the steps of: (a) including at least two identifiers within each structured component of the data, if not already included, such that each unique identifier is assigned to a different subcomponent in the structured component of data; (b) processing the data to be shared with a polynomial expression to determine at least one descriptive value for each structured component of the data that will be made available to be shared, sharing of at least the part of the data occurring currently or at a subsequent time in a separate conveyance, said at least the part of the data being shared at a time when an entity having the data and the party agree to share said at least the part of the data; (c) producing data information that does not include the data that are to be made available to be shared, wherein the data information instead includes: (i) one item selected from the group consisting of: (A) an identification of the sub-components of the data to be shared; and (B) an order of the sub-components to be shared; (ii) said at least two unique identifiers assigned to the sub-components in the structured components of the data to be shared; and (iii) said at least one descriptive value for each structured component of the data to be shared; (d) encrypting the data information, producing encrypted data information; (e) conveying the encrypted data information to the party; (f) enabling the party to decrypt the encrypted data information to recover the data information; and (g) using only the decrypted data information for verifying the integrity of the data when the data are actually accessed by the party, without using a separate third party to aid in the verifying or the sharing of the data.