Abstract: One example method includes sending, by a sender, a commitment message, wherein the commitment message is digitally signed by the sender but is not verifiable by a recipient until a public key is revealed by the sender, transmitting, by the sender, the commitment message to the recipient, confirming, by the sender, that the commitment message has been received by the recipient, and only after receipt of the commitment message has been confirmed by the recipient, revealing in a second message, by the sender, the public key, wherein the public key is usable by the recipient to verify that the commitment message was validly signed by the sender.

Abstract: One example method includes accessing stored data, associating a unique identifier with the data, creating a hash by hashing a combination that comprises the unique identifier and the data, transmitting the hash to a notary service, receiving, from the notary service, a digital signature that corresponds to the hash, appending the digital signature to the data, and storing, as an object, a combination that comprises the digital signature, the data, and the unique identifier.

Abstract: In a cloud-based multiple client encryption and deduplication environment, secret plaintext data of a client is encrypted to produce ciphertext in an enclave comprising a trusted execution environment which is inaccessible by unauthorized entities and processes even with administrator privileges. Encryption is performed with an initialization vector and an encryption key calculated in the enclave. The encrypted ciphertext is deduplicated prior to storage by comparing a hash of the corresponding plaintext data to hashes of previously stored plaintext data.

Abstract: One example method includes maintaining a deduplication data structure including one or more entries that each identify a respective fingerprint, and pointer, and also maintaining a ClientBlockList data structure comprising one or more entries that each identify a respective handle, retention date, and block, receiving a write request that identifies a handle, retention date, and block, computing a fingerprint of the block identified in the write request, determining, by the server, whether the fingerprint is in the deduplication data structure, and when the fingerprint is not in the deduplication data structure, storing the block identified in the write request at location ‘L’ in the deduplication data structure, and adding, to the deduplication data structure, an entry that identifies the fingerprint and the location ‘L,’ and adding, to the ClientBlockList data structure, an entry that identifies the handle, retention date, and fingerprint.

Abstract: One example method includes continuously performing key related operations. Each data set in a storage system is encrypted with a different key. New keys are repeatedly introduced and new data is encrypted only with the newest or latest key. Data being rekeyed is re-encrypted with the latest key. By repeatedly introducing new keys and rekeying data sets associated with older keys, the overall key age of the system can be kept low and the data is less susceptible to being compromised.

Abstract: One example method includes logging into websites through devices including insecure devices. A logon device may store credentials. The logon device is configured to connect with an insecure device and then communicate with a website for authentication purposes without exposing a user's credentials to the insecure device. After the user is authenticated, the session is transferred to the insecure device.

Abstract: One example method includes generating a biometric of a user, requesting, and receiving, biometric data from a card, comparing the biometric data with the biometric, and when the biometric data matches data of the biometric, authorizing a transaction requested by a user using the card. The request for biometric data may identify what particular type of biometric data is compatible with the device making the request, and the biometric data may be a subset of the data that makes up the biometric.

Abstract: An apparatus in one embodiment includes at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The processing device is configured to implement a first ledger maintenance node. The first ledger maintenance node is configured to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of additional ledger maintenance nodes, to identify a block for proposed addition to a distributed ledger collectively maintained by the first and additional ledger maintenance nodes, to apply a digital signature of the first ledger maintenance node to the block, and to receive digital signatures on the block from at least a subset of the additional ledger maintenance nodes. Responsive to receipt of sufficient digital signatures from respective ones of the additional ledger maintenance nodes to meet a specified quorum of digital signatures required for addition of the block to the distributed ledger, the first ledger maintenance node adds the block to the distributed ledger.

Abstract: A method of sending blocks of data from a client to be stored at a storage server, wherein for each block compression and encryption is performed at the client, and deduplication is performed at the server. Security is thus enhanced as the block is compressed and encrypted when it is sent over an unsecured network and when it is stored in potentially a third-party backup system. Provisions are made to enable addition of new compression algorithms and for retirement of old compression algorithms, while ensuring that a client would not receive a block which was compressed using an unsupported, e.g., retired, compression algorithm.

Abstract: An apparatus in an illustrative embodiment comprises a client device configured for communication with a storage system, with the client device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The client device is further configured to identify a data item to be stored in the storage system, and to generate a data encryption key for the data item as a function of a first secret key and the data item. For example, the function may comprise hashing at least the data item. The client device is further configured to encrypt the data item using the data encryption key for the data item, and to send the encrypted data item to the storage system for storage therein. The client device in some embodiments is further configured to encrypt the data encryption key using a second secret key, and to send the encrypted data encryption key to the storage system for storage therein as metadata of the data item.

Abstract: In a cloud-based multiple client encryption and deduplication environment, secret plaintext data of a client is encrypted to produce ciphertext in an enclave comprising a trusted execution environment which is inaccessible by unauthorized entities and processes even with administrator privileges. Encryption is performed with an initialization vector and an encryption key calculated in the enclave. The encrypted ciphertext is deduplicated prior to storage by comparing a hash of the corresponding plaintext data to hashes of previously stored plaintext data.

Abstract: An authentication server in an illustrative embodiment is configured to communicate with one or more client devices over a network. Responsive to a successful login to a user account by a client device, the authentication server provides the client device with a login cookie for the user account for potential utilization in one or more subsequent logins to the user account. The authentication server initializes a cookie-specific counter for the login cookie, and increments the cookie-specific counter for each of one or more unsuccessful logins to the user account made utilizing the login cookie. Responsive to the cookie-specific counter reaching a specified value, the authentication server locks the user account for any subsequent logins to the user account made utilizing the login cookie. The authentication server resets the cookie-specific counter responsive to a successful login to the user account made utilizing the login cookie.

Abstract: Plaintext data is encrypted to produce ciphertext which is transmitted along with a hash of the plaintext data and corresponding metadata comprising an initialization vector and information about the encryption key version used to encrypt the plaintext data to a backend storage system. The encrypted ciphertext is deduplicated at the backend storage system (without first decrypting it) using the hash and stored based upon the metadata.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises at least one processing device that includes a processor coupled to a memory. The processing device is configured to establish a secure enclave in cloud infrastructure as part of a trust domain, to load the secure enclave with a program for execution in the secure enclave, and to provide the secure enclave with information sufficient to allow the secure enclave to prove to one or more clients of the trust domain that the secure enclave was established within the trust domain. The provided information customizes the secure enclave for the trust domain in a manner that is detectable by the one or more clients of the trust domain. The establishing, loading and providing are illustratively performed at least in part by an orchestrator component that is part of the trust domain and is implemented using a first physical machine that is separate from a second physical machine used to implement the secure enclave.

Abstract: One example method includes accessing stored data, associating a unique identifier with the data, creating a hash by hashing a combination that comprises the unique identifier and the data, transmitting the hash to a notary service, receiving, from the notary service, a digital signature that corresponds to the hash, appending the digital signature to the data, and storing, as an object, a combination that comprises the digital signature, the data, and the unique identifier.

Abstract: An apparatus in one embodiment includes at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The processing device is configured to implement a first ledger maintenance node. The first ledger maintenance node is configured to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of additional ledger maintenance nodes, to identify a block for proposed addition to a distributed ledger collectively maintained by the first and additional ledger maintenance nodes, to apply a digital signature of the first ledger maintenance node to the block, and to receive digital signatures on the block from at least a subset of the additional ledger maintenance nodes. Responsive to receipt of sufficient digital signatures from respective ones of the additional ledger maintenance nodes to meet a specified quorum of digital signatures required for addition of the block to the distributed ledger, the first ledger maintenance node adds the block to the distributed ledger.

Abstract: An apparatus in one embodiment comprises a client configured to perform client-side portions of one or more user authentication protocols carried out between the client and one or more authentication servers over a network. The client stores, for one or more instances of a given one of the user authentication protocols carried out for a particular user, an incorrect password history comprising identifiers of one or more passwords previously entered by the user and indicated as being incorrect passwords by at least one of the authentication servers, and determines, for an additional password entered by the user but not yet submitted by the client to the authentication servers, whether or not the additional password is part of the incorrect password history. Responsive to the additional password being part of the incorrect password history, the client generates an alert for presentation to the user to indicate that the additional password may be an incorrect password.

Abstract: A challenge/response authentication procedure determines whether a response is a correct response, a unique incorrect response, or a non-unique incorrect response, the unique incorrect response and non-unique incorrect response being differentiated by comparing the response value with a store of unique incorrect response values. For the correct response, client access to protected computer system resources is allowed, and the challenge value is discarded so as not to be used again. For the unique incorrect response, (1) when a predetermined limit of unique incorrect responses has not been reached, then the response value is added to the store of unique incorrect response values and the process is repeated with reuse of the challenge value, and (2) when the predetermined limit has been reached, then the client is locked out. For the non-unique incorrect response, the process is repeated with reuse of the challenge value.

Abstract: An apparatus in one embodiment includes at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory. The processing device is configured to implement a first ledger maintenance node. The first ledger maintenance node is configured to communicate over one or more networks with a plurality of additional ledger maintenance nodes, to identify a block for proposed addition to a distributed ledger collectively maintained by the first and additional ledger maintenance nodes, to apply a digital signature of the first ledger maintenance node to the block, and to receive digital signatures on the block from at least a subset of the additional ledger maintenance nodes. Responsive to receipt of sufficient digital signatures from respective ones of the additional ledger maintenance nodes to meet a specified quorum of digital signatures required for addition of the block to the distributed ledger, the first ledger maintenance node adds the block to the distributed ledger.

Abstract: Plaintext data is encrypted to produce ciphertext which is transmitted along with a hash of the plaintext data and corresponding metadata comprising an initialization vector and information about the encryption key version used to encrypt the plaintext data to a backend storage system. The encrypted ciphertext is deduplicated at the backend storage system (without first decrypting it) using the hash and stored based upon the metadata.