摘要 |
A system for secure data storage, exchange and/or sharing through a protected central storage facility, containing at least one "network vault" to which access is controlled through a single data access channel. The network vault is similar to a physical safe, in that substantially any type of information can be stored in the network vault, and in that the user need only place the information inside the network vault for the information to be secured. Thus, the system of the present invention combines the flexibility of data storage and retrieval through a network, with the security of controlled access for data storage and retrieval at a fixed physical location. The restriction of data access through a single data access channel greatly simplifies the task of protecting access to the data, since only this single channel must be monitored for unauthorized access, rather than monitoring many such channels (or interfaces). Also, the present invention enables data to be exchanged between two users and/or networks which do not trust each other, again by only permitting access to the stored data through the single data access channel, rather than by attempting to filter communication between the two parties. Thus, the present invention is able to provide security without declarations, since the data is moved into the security system, rather than attempting to impose the security system over an existing data access system. |