Claims
- 1. A computer implemented method for dynamically maintaining an authenticated dictionary comprising the steps of:
maintaining in a database a skip list data structure; authenticating objects in the data structure as belonging or not belonging to the dictionary using a commutative hash function and hashing in order a short sequence of values to create a value equal to a hashed digest of the entire dictionary; and validating a result of the authenticating step if the hash of the short sequence matches a signed hash of the entire skip list.
- 2. The computer implemented method for dynamically maintaining an authenticated dictionary recited in claim 1, wherein the hash function is a cryptographic commutative hash function.
- 3. The computer implemented method for dynamically maintaining an authenticated dictionary recited in claim 2, wherein the dictionary is maintained by a source computer accessed over a network by a plurality of directories which are, in turn, queried by a plurality of users.
- 4. The computer implemented method for dynamically maintaining an authenticated dictionary recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:
updating the dictionary by the source computer; and transmitting by the source computer updates to the dictionary to the directories.
- 5. The computer implemented method for dynamically maintaining an authenticated dictionary recited in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:
querying a directory by a user as to whether an object belongs or does not belong in the dictionary; and returning to the user by the directory a signed response and hash values in a search path.
- 6. The computer implemented method for dynamically maintaining an authenticated dictionary recited in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
verifying by the user a signature of a signed response; comparing a validated signed response with a basis; and validating by the user an answer provided by the directory.
GOVERNMENT INTERESTS
[0001] The work leading to this invention was funded in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), grant number: F30602-00-0509. The U.S. Government may have certain rights in this invention.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US01/43008 |
11/8/2001 |
WO |
|