Patent ID: 8589680

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of initiating data synchronization between devices, the method causing a computing device to perform steps comprising: sending a first device identifier from a first device to a second device, the second device having a file system that uses file-level data protection, wherein the file system is configured to encrypt files using file encryption keys, wherein each file is associated with one of a set of protection classes, each protection class is associated with a protection class key, and the file encryption keys are encrypted using the corresponding protection class keys; receiving from the second device a sync ticket containing encryption keys used to encrypt the protection class keys; decrypting, by the first device, the sync ticket using a device code specific to and stored on the first device; receiving, by the first device, protection class keys from a server; decrypting, by the first device, the protection class keys using a key retrieved from the decrypted sync ticket; decrypting, by the first device, the files using the decrypted protection class keys; and synchronizing, by the first device, data contained in the decrypted files with the second device.