Patent ID: 8166565

Claim:
A system for secure distributed data storage that uses a network, the system comprising: a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; computer code in the memory for implementing the following functionality: a file stored on a plurality of storage elements that are accessible over the network; and an access control list associated with the file; a list of users, stored in the access control list, with read access to plaintext contents of the file; a list of users, stored in the access control list, with write access to the file; each user having a user public key; each user having a user private key; a file public key associated with the file and used for encrypting the plaintext contents of the file; and a file private key associated with the file and used for decrypting the file into the plaintext contents, wherein the user public key is used to encrypt the file private key, and the encrypted private file key is stored in the access control list, wherein the user private key is used to decrypt the encrypted private file key, and wherein data representing the ciphertext contents of the file, metadata associated with the file, data related to functioning of distributed data storage and the ciphertext access control list is available to any user of the network.