Encrypting file system

Abstract

An encryption method that is largely transparent to a user is accomplished by intercepting a change document or open document command, carrying out an encryption or decryption process, and then completing the command on an encrypted or decrypted file. The encryption method can be used in a wide variety of environments, such as an individual computer program, a database or electronic messaging over the Internet. The encryption method can select from a plurality of encryption algorithms.

1 . A process of decrypting documents comprising: 
 providing plural documents having respective names    providing a crypto server for causing documents to be decrypted    providing a first table having 
 the names of encrypted documents  
 for each of the names of encrypted documents in the first table, a key name associated with a decryption key value for the encrypted document  
   detecting an open command for a given document issuing from a user of an application program using a user input device    determining if the user is an authenticated user    in response to the open command, the crypto server using the first table to determine if the given document should be decrypted    if the given document should be decrypted and the user is an authenticated user, then 
 retrieving the key name associated with the name of the given document from the first table  
 retrieving the decryption key value associated with the key name from a second table, the second table having at least one decryption key value  
 causing the given document to be decrypted.  
   
   
   
       2 . The process of decrypting documents of  claim 1  further comprising providing an electronic document management system comprising a search engine, wherein the electronic document management system performs the detecting step.  
   
   
       3 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for decrypting documents, the program code for causing a processor to 
 cause plural documents to be decrypted, the documents having respective names    record in a first table 
 the names of the encrypted documents  
 for each of the names of encrypted documents in the first table, a key name associated with a decryption key value for the encrypted document  
   detecting an open command for a given document issuing from a user of an application program using a user input device    determine if the user is an authenticated user    in response to the open command use the first table to determine if the given document should be decrypted    if the given document should be decrypted and the user is an authenticated user, then 
 retrieve the key name associated with the name of the given document from the first table  
 retrieve the decryption key value associated with the key name from a second table, the second table having at least one decryption key value  
 cause the given document to be decrypted.  
   
   
   
       4 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for encrypting documents the program code for causing a processor to 
 cause plural documents to be encrypted, the documents having respective names    record in a first table 
 the names of the encrypted documents  
 for each of the names of encrypted documents in the first table, a key name associated with an encryption key value for the encrypted document  
   determine if the user is an authenticated user    detect a close command for a given document issuing from a user of an application program using a user input device    in response to the close command use the first table to determine if the given document should be encrypted    if the given document should be encrypted and the user is an authenticated user, then 
 retrieve the key name associated with the name of the given document from the first table  
 retrieve the encryption key value associated with the key name from a second table, the second table having at least one encryption key value and at least one key name respectively associated with a one of the encryption key values  
 cause the given document to be encrypted.