PRODUCT DESCRIPTION. Version 0.01 (Alpha) By F. Scott Deaver Chief Technical Officer/Founder/Inventor February 27, 2017

Transcription

1 Certitude Digital s AMULET Corporate Container Simulation Package (AMULET CCS ) PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Version 0.01 (Alpha) By F. Scott Deaver Chief Technical Officer/Founder/Inventor February 27, 2017 Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 1

2 Table of contents Table of contents... 2 Introduction... 3 What is the Certitude Digital s AMULET Corporate Container Simulation package?... 3 Why are these applications and tools necessary?... 3 AMULET CCS package contents... 4 AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool... 5 Internal work flow... 5 How bulk application of container-based AMULET protection works... 6 When items in a CRAP container to be simulated are already AMULET -protected... 7 Are you both the intellectual property owner and the CRAP container owner?... 7 If the digital asset is not yet protected with container-criteria simulation AMULET criteria... 8 User interface User interface details AMULET CCS Virtual Container Change Monitoring Tool AMULET CCS virtual container *.ccs file AMULET CCS Virtual Container File Viewer and Editor Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 2

3 Introduction What is the Certitude Digital s AMULET Corporate Container Simulation package? Certitude Digital s AMULET Corporate Container Simulation (or AMULET CCS or even ACCS in the short form) package is a collection of applications, tools, services and helper utilities to quickly and efficiently use Certitude Digital AMULETs to wrap effective fail-safe cybersecurity around very large numbers of digital assets as files residing in existing Container-Related Asset Protection (CRAP) folders, disk drives, servers, server farms, the cloud, and other aggregates and collections. The package can also be used to simulate CRAP container behaviors around collections of AMULET protected digital assets so that they can be safely accessed from legacy utilities, operating systems, file systems, and other infrastructure that could otherwise handle and expect only legacy CRAP structures and limitations. Why are these applications and tools necessary? The inherent design flaws and security weakness of legacy CRAP technologies (which you know as the traditional file folders, disk drives, browsers, operating systems, servers, server farms, and cloud infrastructure we have all become used to) have rendered those technologies unsustainable in the modern cybersecurity age. To understand more about CRAP technologies and the differences between them and Certitude Digital AMULETs, see the article entitled AMULET intellectual property protection vs. Container-Related Asset Protection (CRAP) at However, those older technologies are so ubiquitous, universal really, and the anticipations and expectations of those kinds of behavior are built into so many applications and systems that they cannot just simply be replaced in order to accommodate better cybersecurity approaches. So, the AMULET protection strategies were designed from inception so that they could be inserted between (in essence) the digital asset and its container, such that the digital asset s relationship with its container was not disturbed in any way yet the digital asset would automatically gain all of the security that goes with the AMULET, including fail-safety. Even better, AMULETs can also include among their sophisticated environment criteria the same primitive criteria CRAP technologies use, in order to synchronize those simpler criteria between the two technologies. Even better yet, multiple layers of AMULETs can be inserted essentially between a CRAP container and a digital asset, and protected digital assets can also reference multiple AMULETs for protection that means the primitive security criteria of the CRAP the technology can be separated into its own unique AMULET to ensure synchronized protection for the digital asset with the container between both technologies while in the CRAP container. When leaving the CRAP container, the AMULET containing CRAP technology primitive criteria can optionally be stripped off the exiting version of the digital asset, if desired. This design ensures the most robust and flexible security possible for the digital asset at all times and under all circumstances. The Certitude Digital AMULET CCS package comes into play because when organizations with large existing inventories of CRAP technologies need to add AMULET security, it is often under emergency conditions, and even when not, needs to be done in a way that does not disrupt their ongoing business or operations. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 3

4 AMULET CCS package contents The Certitude Digital AMULET CCS consists of the following major standalone components along with several helper utilities, Software Development Kit tools and libraries, automation scripts, and support utilities to aid users in the use and adaptation of the primary components to their own environments as to allow them to build their own utilities and tools in those situations where it is desirable to do so. Each of the primary AMULET CCS components will be provided with their Graphical User Interface elements expressed as both online web tools as well as desktop utilities for major workstation operating systems (to support servers which should not be exposed to a public internet). The primary AMULET CCS components are: 1. The AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool this is the workhorse user component used to deploy AMULET simulation-of-container-criteria protections in bulk to large collections of both currently-unprotected and already AMULET -protected digital assets; 2. The AMULET CCS Virtual Container Change Monitoring Tool - this server operating system tray application component is provided as a user convenience and is not required by other AMULET CCS components. It supplies a useful means for Container-Related Asset Protection (CRAP) system administrators to synchronize the uniform application of container-securitycriteria-simulation AMULETs to new digital assets entering the container (and optionally, removal of container-security-criteria-simulation AMULETsv from digital assets exiting the container) via notifications of specific digital asset activity; 3. The AMULET CCS virtual container *.ccs file this persistent binary collection of virtual container simulation metadata is usually stored on a hard drive as a file, and contains information about the contents of a virtual container, including digital assets in that container to which container-security-criteria-simulation AMULETs have been applied. It is provided as a user convenience and is not required by the runtime operations of the virtual container it supports recording work done by the AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool and is used by the AMULET CCS Virtual Container File Viewer and Editor for displaying and editing that recording; 4. The AMULET CCS Virtual Container File Viewer and Editor - this tool allows viewing and editing of the AMULET CCS virtual container *.ccs file as an aid to system administrators in keeping the actual contents of Container-Related Asset Protection (CRAP) collections in sync with the inventory of digital assets to which container-security-criteria-simulation AMULETs have been applied in virtual containers. It is provided as a user convenience and is not required by the runtime operations of the virtual container. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 4

5 AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool Internal work flow Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 5

6 How bulk application of container-based AMULET protection works The AMULET CCS Mass Migration tool does two things to resolve the security weakness of Container- Related Asset Protection (CRAP) digital asset collections. It wraps a templated generic AMULET around each and every previously-unprotected digital asset which can then be later custom-tailored with AMULET criteria uniquely defined to be made specific to that digital asset s security needs. As a general matter, in Certitude Digital AMULET systems, digital assets are protected by enciphering their contents in fail-safe fashion, using (among other things) the identifiers of an AMULET config file and one or more AMULETs within that config file. This process creates an unbreakable, unrecognizable fail-safe rendition of the digital asset that can moved anywhere at any time, can be copied an infinite number of times, and can be stored on any device anywhere without any threat of abuse, misuse, or theft to the intellectual property embedded in it, while at the same time creating an indestructible, yet virtual link, to the AMULET(s) (the digital asset and the AMULET do not have to even co-exist in the same space, as long as at each moment of invocation of the digital asset the relevant AMULET(s) is accessible to the rendering devices Certitude Digital AMULET framework). The relationship between unprotected digital assets, the AMULET enciphering that protects the digital asset, the virtual link(s) to AMULET(s), and each AMULET s relationship with its AMULET config file can be represented like so: Ordinarily, digital assets are protected with AMULETs by the authors, artists, producers, and/or developers who originally created the digital asset or owners who subsequently acquired ownership of the digital it (it is their intellectual property that AMULETs are intended to protect). However, CRAP containers have an infamous disregard for intellectual property rights, and often either do not have a record of the intellectual property owner of the digital assets in the container or those owners security preferences, or sometimes the rightful owner of the intellectual property associated with digital assets in the container does in fact happen to be the container. We are morally obligated to ask, if you are a CRAP container owner and have in that container digital assets whose intellectual property doesn t belong to you, that you determine the rightful owners of that Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 6

7 intellectual property and contact them to obtain appropriate AMULETs and AMULET -protected versions of those digital assets. When items in a CRAP container to be simulated are already AMULET -protected When there are already-amulet -protected digital assets in a CRAP container to which you d like to add a container-criteria simulation AMULET, it is not necessary to have possession of the original AMULETs associated with a digital asset or to modify the security criteria of those AMULETs in any way (in other words, the CRAP container owner does not need to have editorial rights to those original AMULET criteria). The additional new container-criteria simulation AMULET will be wrapped around the existing AMULET -protected digital asset and its implicit existing AMULET dependencies. Are you both the intellectual property owner and the CRAP container owner? If you are the both the owner of the intellectual property embedded in a digital asset as well as the owner of the CRAP container you d like to migrate to modern AMULET protection, bulk additions of container-criteria simulation AMULET around the digital asset using Certitude Digital AMULET CCS is probably not the best way to go. For the owner of intellectual property in a digital asset, directly protecting the digital asset manually with one or more AMULETs suited specifically to the intellectual property is usually a much better way to go at runtime, processing AMULET-protected digital assets with just one layer of enciphering is more efficient. Use the AMULET criteria editor to create a new AMULET for digital assets that were not previously AMULET -protected. If the digital asset to which you want to add a container-criteria simulation AMULET was previously AMULET -protected, you have access to the AMULET config file containing its existing AMULETs, and you are the owner of the AMULET config file, you can easily add the container-criteria simulation AMULET to the first-level AMULETs protecting that digital asset using the AMULET criteria editor, as shown in this representation: You could also simply copy the criteria from the container-criteria simulation AMULET to one of the existing AMULETs in the AMULET config file, if it is appropriate to do so. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 7

8 Once you have manually protected a digital asset by adding a container-criteria simulation AMULET to that digital asset s AMULET protections (or copied container-criteria simulation AMULET to another AMULET protecting the digital asset, there is no need to apply an external layer of container-criteria simulation AMULET protection to that digital asset using the AMULET CCS Mass Migration tool. Note: In order to add more AMULETs to an existing AMULET config file, the AMULET config file must have been licensed to support the new number of AMULETs. Visit the website to add more capacity to an existing AMULET config file, or to create a new AMULET config file. If the digital asset is not yet protected with container-criteria simulation AMULET criteria If at this point all the digital assets you want to protect with an additional container-criteria simulation AMULET layer have been assigned first-level AMULET protection that does not already include the container-criteria simulation AMULET, or if it is acceptable to assign a generic first-level AMULET to all the digital assets you want to include in your CRAP container simulation that as yet have no AMULET protection, you can proceed with the AMULET CCS Mass Migration tool. Assuming all of the previous conditions have been met to your satisfaction, from this point forward the AMULET CCS Mass Migration tool will do two things: 1. Assign a generic AMULET to any selected digital assets that are as yet-unprotected by an AMULET ; and 2. Wrap a container-criteria simulation AMULET around the already-amulet -protected digital asset. The end effect result of applying AMULET CCS Mass Migration to all of the digital assets in a CRAP technology container can be represented like so as viewed from the perspective of each digital asset: Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 8

9 Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 9

10 User interface Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 10

11 The AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows you to aggregate digital assets as files from anywhere into a single virtual container, represented by the contents of a virtual container *.ccs file it will generate at the user-provided output path. Between selection and output, it will process all of the source digital input files listed into AMULET -protected digital asset files (if not AMULET -protected already and the option has been checked on) and then wrap all digital assets with a user-selected container-criteria simulation AMULET. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 11

12 User interface details Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 12

13 This edit field accepts the full path of the location for outputting the virtual container *.ccs file. The virtual container *.ccs file is generated by executing the AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool, as a diagnostic and planning aid to the system administrator. This output file is not required by any of the AMULET framework runtime components, but reporting information related to details of the execution of the tool, including what digital assets were processed, what first-level AMULETs were newly assigned to those digital assets (if any), the container-criteria simulation AMULET assigned to each digital asset (if successful) time and date of the tool execution, and any errors that were experienced. The system administrator can compare the list of digital asset migrations reported here and the last tool execution time and date to a list of directories in a CRAP technology container to see what digital assets have been added to that container since the tool was last run, or whether file size and timestamps have changed for a given digital asset since the last time the tool was executed. This browse button launches a file browser utility so you can easily select a file folder and name for the output virtual container *.ccs file s full file path. Enter the full file path of the AMULET config file that contains the AMULET you want to use as the container-criteria simulation AMULET here. If the container-criteria simulation AMULET does not yet exist, use the Launch AMULET Editor button below to launch the editor and create the AMULET. This browse button can be used to search for and enter the full file path of the AMULET config file that contains the AMULET you want to use as the container-criteria simulation AMULET. Enter the AMULET ID for the AMULET you want to use as the container-criteria simulation AMULET - this AMULET must reside in the AMULET config file whose full file path is given in the edit control immediately above. It is strongly recommended that you not use the container-criteria simulation AMULET as a digital asset s first-level AMULET, for several reasons, primary of which is that using only primitive CRAP quality security criteria for digital assets is the problem you are wanting to solve. However, there are situations in which using container-criteria simulation AMULET as the digital asset s first-level AMULET is the most expedient way to get to at least fail-safety and permanently-attached security for a collection of digital assets, so we do permit it. This checkbox, when set on, allows you to instead assign a different AMULET (from the container-criteria simulation AMULET ) as the first-level AMULET for the digital asset If a digital asset selected for inclusion in the virtual container has no first-level AMULET already assigned. This option gives you the most flexibility and security when assigning AMULETs to large numbers of digital assets that have never before been AMULET -protected. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 13

14 Enter the full file path of the AMULET config file that contains the AMULET you want to use as the generic first-level AMULET for digital assets that have never been previously been assigned an AMULET here. If the generic first-level AMULET does not yet exist, use the Launch AMULET Editor button below to launch the editor and create the AMULET. This browse button can be used to search for and enter the full file path of the AMULET config file that contains the AMULET you want to use as the generic first-level AMULET. Enter the AMULET ID for the AMULET you want to use as generic first-level AMULET - this AMULET must reside in the AMULET config file whose full file path is given in the edit control immediately above. This checkbox controls whether you want the generic first-level AMULET to itself be applied to all digital assets that have never been previously been assigned an AMULET, or whether you instead want the generic first-level AMULET used as a template only to create unique brand new AMULET ID for each and every individual digital asset never previously been assigned an AMULET. There are advantages to disadvantages and advantages to each approach. If the same generic first-level AMULET is assigned to all previously-unprotected digital assets in the virtual container, then any later changes to the generic first-level AMULET s criteria made using the AMULET editor will affect the security of all the digital assets in the virtual container the same way. If that is the effect you want, then leave this checkbox turned off (and you will not have to worry about allocating or managing new AMULETs ). However, if you intend at some point later to modify the security criteria of one or more of the digital assets in the virtual container without disturbing the security of other digital assets sharing the same AMULET, then you will want to set this checkbox on. That will cause each and every previouslyunprotected digital asset to receive a new and unique AMULET, with its initial criteria copied from the generic first-level AMULET specified above. There is a cost associated with generating a new unique AMULET for every previously-unprotected digital asset. In order to add more AMULETs to an existing AMULET config file, the AMULET config file must have been licensed to support the new number of AMULETs. Visit the website to add more capacity to an existing AMULET config file, or to create a new AMULET config file. The AMULET config file specified for the generic first-level AMULET must be licensed for sufficient capacity to accommodate all of the previously-unprotected digital asset to be included in the virtual container. When the checkbox immediately above is set on, there must be a way to communicate to the system administrator the new AMULET IDs generated for each of the previously unprotected digital assets in the virtual container. Those AMULET IDs will be required when the system administrator Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 14

15 wants to later edit the criteria for individual AMULETs connected to a particular digital asset. The new AMULET IDs and their associated digital asset full file paths are recorded to the virtual container *.ccs file specified above as well as to the plain-text file whose full file path is specified here. This browse button can be used to search for and enter the full file path of the plain-text file for storing any new AMULET IDs and their associated digital asset full file paths. This list box displays the list of all digital asset full file paths that will be processed when the Process virtual container button below is clicked. This button brings up a dialog box that will allow you to select one or many full file paths to add the digital asset list box above. You can select an entire drive full of files to be added, a folder, or pick and choose from a multiple-selection list box displaying individual files. This button will delete one or more currently-selected files in the multiple-selection list box above from the list of digital assets to be included in the virtual container. This button will launch the AMULET editor for creating new AMULET config files or AMULETs and for editing the criteria contained in an existing AMULET. This button will start processing of the list of digital assets above, assigning a generic AMULET to any selected digital assets that are as yet-unprotected by an AMULET and wrap a container-criteria simulation AMULET around the already-amulet -protected digital assets. This button exits the application a dialog box will appear is you have selected any digital assets into the list box above for processing but have not yet processed the list. AMULET CCS Virtual Container Change Monitoring Tool The AMULET CCS Virtual Container Change Monitoring Tool is a simple utility offered as an aid to the system administrator. It is not necessary to the execution of either the AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool or any components of the Certitude Digital AMULET framework. When passed one or more virtual container *.ccs files container lists of digital assets previously migrated from CRAP containers to enhanced, the AMULET CCS Virtual Container Change Monitoring Tool will notify the system administrator of any file changes in any folders or drives referenced in those *.ccs files that either add files not listed as having been migrated to AMULET protection, or delete or modify files listed as having been migrated to AMULET protection. The notifications are saved in log format and can optionally be forwarded to one or more endpoints by or text messaging. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 15

16 AMULET CCS virtual container *.ccs file The virtual container *.ccs file is generated by executing the AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool, as a diagnostic and planning aid to the system administrator. This output file is not required by any of the AMULET framework runtime components, but reporting information related to details of the execution of the tool, including what digital assets were processed, what first-level AMULETs were newly assigned to those digital assets (if any), the container-criteria simulation AMULET assigned to each digital asset (if successful) time and date of the tool execution, and any errors that were experienced. The system administrator can compare the list of digital asset migrations reported here and the last tool execution time and date to a list of directories in a CRAP technology container to see what digital assets have been added to that container since the tool was last run, or whether file size and timestamps have changed for a given digital asset since the last time the tool was executed. AMULET CCS Virtual Container File Viewer and Editor The AMULET CCS Virtual Container File Viewer and Editor is a simple utility offered as an aid to the system administrator for viewing and editing the contents of virtual container *.ccs files. It is not necessary to the execution of either the AMULET CCS Mass Migration Tool or any components of the Certitude Digital AMULET framework. When passed the path to a virtual container *.ccs files, this utility allows detailed examination of the file, editing selected elements of the file content, and exporting selected file information to other file formats. Copyright Certitude Digital, Incorporated All rights reserved. Page 16