Information distribution system and program for the same

Abstract

An information distribution system described herein is capable of securely storing digitized personal information in an encrypted state in a storage section and securely transferring/disclosing the stored digitized information only to a particular third person via a network. Communication of the information is securely performed in the encrypted state between information terminals connected to the communication network. An information terminal which has created information encrypts the original information by a common key generated upon communication and stores the information in a secure storage of one of the information terminals connected to the communication network while maintaining the encrypted state. Further, the system creates a mechanism for authenticating a person having a particular authority for viewing the encrypted information and index information having an encrypted common key and link information indicating the location of the information for supply to a user.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a common key generating section to generate a common key;   an original information encrypting section to encrypt original information based on the common key;   a key storage section to store a public key used to encrypt the common key;   a common key encrypting section to encrypt the common key with the public key; and   a secure transport core to perform encrypted communication via a communication network,   wherein the encrypted common key and the encrypted original information are communicated via the secure transport core through the communication network.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the communication network is a TCP/IP network. 
     
     
         4 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a key storage section to store a private key used to decrypt the common key;   a common key extracting section to extract a common key from an encrypted common key using the private key;   a decryption processing section to decrypt encrypted information corresponding to the original information with the common key extracted from the encrypted common key; and   a secure transport core to perform encrypted communication via a communication network,   wherein the encrypted common key and the encrypted information are communicated via the secure transport core through the communication network.   
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the communication network is a TCP/IP network. 
     
     
         6 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a secure storage section to securely store encrypted information corresponding to original information generated at another information processing apparatus;   a link information generating section to generate link information associating an encrypted common key to the encrypted information corresponding to the original information;   an index information generating section to generate index information to provide the index information and the encrypted information corresponding to the original information to the terminal; and   a secure transport core to perform encrypted communication via a communication network.   
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an authorized terminal authenticating section to authenticate a terminal for access to the encrypted information based on an authorization of the another information processing apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . An information distribution system, comprising:
 a plurality of information terminals connected to a communication network, wherein   at least one first information terminal of the plurality of information terminals includes
 a common key generating section to generate a common key, 
 an original information encrypting section to encrypt original information based on the common key, 
 a key storage section to store a public key used to encrypt the common key, 
 a common key encrypting section to encrypt the common key with the public key, and 
 a secure transport core to perform encrypted communication via a communication network, wherein the encrypted common key and the encrypted original information are communicated via the secure transport core through the communication network, 
   at least one second information terminal of the plurality of information terminals includes
 a key storage section to store a private key used to decrypt the common key, 
 a common key extracting section to extract a common key from an encrypted common key using the private key, 
 a decryption processing section to decrypt encrypted information corresponding to the original information with the common key extracted from the encrypted common key, and 
 a secure transport core to perform encrypted communication via a communication network, wherein the encrypted common key and the encrypted information are communicated via the secure transport core through the communication network, and 
   at least one third information terminal of the plurality of information terminals includes
 a secure storage section to securely store encrypted information corresponding to original information generated at another information processing apparatus, 
 a link information generating section to generate link information associating an encrypted common key to the encrypted information corresponding to the original information, 
 an index information generating section to generate index information to provide the index information and the encrypted information corresponding to the original information to the terminal, and 
 a secure transport core to perform encrypted communication via a communication network.