Section: New Software and Platforms

PlugDB engine

Participants : Nicolas Anciaux [correspondent] , Luc Bouganim, Aydogan Ersoz, Quentin Lefebvre, Philippe Pucheral.

More than a stand-alone prototype, PlugDB is part of a complete architecture dedicated to a secure and ubiquitous management of personal data. PlugDB aims at providing an alternative to a systematic centralization of personal data. To meet this objective, the PlugDB architecture lies on a new kind of hardware device called Secure Portable Token (SPT). Roughly speaking, a SPT combines a smart-card and a micro-controller with a large external Flash memory (Gigabyte sized). The SPT can host data on Flash (e.g., a personal folder) and safely run code embedded in the micro-controller. PlugDB engine is the cornerstone of this embedded code. PlugDB engine manages the database on Flash (tackling the peculiarities of NAND Flash storage), enforces the access control policy defined on this database, protects the data at rest against piracy and tampering, executes queries (tackling low RAM constraint) and ensures transaction atomicity. Part of the on-board data can be replicated on a server (then synchronized) and shared among a restricted circle of trusted parties through crypto-protected interactions. PlugDB engine has been registered at APP (Agence de Protection des Programmes) in 2009 [27] and a new version is registered each year. PlugDB has been experimented in the field in the Yvelines District to implement a secure and portable medical-social folder helping the coordination of medical care and social services provided at home to dependent people. This field experiment is being audited by ARS-Ile de France (the Regional Healthcare Agency) and CG78 (General Council of Yvelines District), in order to envision the opportunity of a larger deployment. In parallel, we are improving the PlugDB prototype to overcome the limitations identified during the experiment. Notably, we have integrated a Bluetooth module to communicate in wireless with the token, a fingerprint module to authenticate users and a microphone to record voice messages. These are key elements in the perspective of a generalization. Link: https://project.inria.fr/plugdb/ .