The application of cryptography for data base security

ABSTRACT

The application of cryptographic transformations for the purpose of enhancing the security in data base systems is discussed. These transformations have been recognized in the past as a valuable protection mechanism but their relation to data base security has not been identified. The major reason is the lack of a suitable data base model for investigating the questions of security and cryptography. A multi-level model of a data base is presented in this paper. This model helps to understand the connection between the data base structure and the cryptographic transformations applied to the data base. It is shown that cryptographic transformations can be applied between the different levels of the data base. Several types of these transformations are identified and the possible ways of using and controlling them are also discussed. The multi-level model can provide a useful framework for further research in the area of cryptography and data base security.

REFERENCES

• 1: M. M. Astrahan , E. B. Altman , P. L. Fehder , M. E. Senko, Concepts of a Data Independent Accessing Model, Proceedings of 1972 ACM-SIGFIDET workshop on Data description, access and control, p.349-362, January 1972 [doi>10.1145/800295.811497]
• 2: R. Bayer , J. K. Metzger, On the encipherment of search trees and random access files, Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, September 22-24, 1975, Framingham, Massachusetts [doi>10.1145/1282480.1282514]
• 3: CODASYL Data Base Task Group Report, April, 1971.
• 4: Feistel, H., W. Notz and L. J. Smith, "Some Cryptographic Techniques for Machine to Machine Data Communications," Proceedings of the IEEE. November, 1975.
• 5: Friedman, T. D., "The Authorization Problem in Shared Files," IBM System Journal, Vol. 7, No. 4, 1970.
• 6: Robert M. Graham, Protection in an information processing utility, Communications of the ACM, v.11 n.5, p.365-369, May 1968 [doi>10.1145/363095.363146]
• 7: G. Scott Graham , Peter J. Denning, Protection: principles and practice, Proceedings of the November 16-18, 1971, fall joint computer conference, November 16-18, 1971, Las Vegas, Nevada [doi>10.1145/1478873.1478928]
• 8: Ehud Gudes, The application of cryptography to data base security., The Ohio State University, 1976
• 9: Lance J. Hoffman, The formulary model for flexible privacy and access controls, Proceedings of the May 16-18, 1972, spring joint computer conference, May 16-18, 1972, Atlantic City, New Jersey [doi>10.1145/1479064.1479168]
• 10: IBM Systems Reference Library, OS Data Management Services Guide, Order No. GC26--3746, 1972.
• 11: B. W. Lampson, Dynamic protection structures, Proceedings of the November 18-20, 1969, fall joint computer conference, November 18-20, 1969, Las Vegas, Nevada [doi>10.1145/1478559.1478563]
• 12: Edwin John Mccauley, III, A model for data secure systems., The Ohio State University, 1975
• 13: N. Minsky, On interaction with data bases, Proceedings of the 1974 ACM SIGFIDET (now SIGMOD) workshop on Data description, access and control, p.51-62, May 01-03, 1974, Ann Arbor, Michigan [doi>10.1145/800296.811504]
• 14: H. E. Petersen , R. Turn, System implications of information privacy, Proceedings of the April 18-20, 1967, spring joint computer conference, April 18-20, 1967, Atlantic City, New Jersey [doi>10.1145/1465482.1465526]
• 15: Shannon, C. E., "Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems," The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 28, No. 4, 1949.
• 16: Sibley, E. H., "On the Equivalence of Data Base Systems," SIGFIDET Workshop on Data Description, Access and Control, May, 1974.
• 17: Edgar H. Sibley , Robert W. Taylor, A data definition and mapping language, Communications of the ACM, v.16 n.12, p.750-759, Dec. 1973 [doi>10.1145/362552.362555]
• 18: R. O. Skatrud, A consideration of the application of cryptographic techniques to data processing, Proceedings of the November 18-20, 1969, fall joint computer conference, November 18-20, 1969, Las Vegas, Nevada [doi>10.1145/1478559.1478573]
• 19: Rein Turn, Privacy transformations for databank systems, Proceedings of the June 4-8, 1973, national computer conference and exposition, June 04-08, 1973, New York, New York [doi>10.1145/1499586.1499732]
• 20: Dennie van Tassel, Cryptographic techniques for computers, Proceedings of the May 14-16, 1969, spring joint computer conference, May 14-16, 1969, Boston, Massachusetts [doi>10.1145/1476793.1476848]