Patent ID: 7739381

Claim:
A method for storing data belonging to a customer of an application service provider, the method comprising: when storing data belonging to the customer of the application service provider is requested: generating an encryption key associated with the data belonging to the customer of the application service provider; encrypting the data belonging to the customer of the application service provider using the generated encryption key to create encrypted data; storing the encrypted data in a data center belonging to and controlled by the application service provider; encrypting the encryption key to create an encrypted encryption key, wherein a password or other information set by the customer is required to decrypt the encrypted encryption key; and storing the encrypted encryption key, wherein the encrypted encryption key is accessible to allow the encrypted data stored in the data center belonging to and controlled by the application service provider to be restored during a subsequent restore operation; wherein the password or other information for decrypting the encrypted encryption key is set by the customer without the application service provider's knowledge, and wherein the application service provider is unable to decrypt the encrypted data stored in the data center belonging to and controlled by the application service provider without first receiving the password or other information from the customer.