Caringo Wins Algorithm Upgrade Patent

AUSTIN, Texas -- Caringo Inc., the leading provider of clustered storage software for accessing, storing and distributing content, today announced that it has been awarded the US Patent for transparently upgrading a hash algorithm for assuring data integrity and authenticity. Caringos CAStor software allows organizations to implement storage clusters for unstructured data or content objects providing for long-term archiving and protection of digital business assets. This patented technology enables them to seamlessly and transparently update the hash employed to digitally authenticate stored records.

The hash algorithm calculates a digital signature or fingerprint for data and the resulting digest is used to prove the authenticity of data in storage or an archive over time. The MD5 hash algorithm is the most often used hash, but was compromised by software engineers that were able to create two files with different content that computed the same hash digest. This effectively rendered MD5 as no longer sufficient to guarantee the authenticity of data files to meet regulatory requirements. Customers must be able to upgrade the hash algorithm to ensure ongoing compliance. With CAStor customers are able to select a newer, more sophisticated hash, which applies to all new records entering the system as well as updates the signature for all previously stored content.

“Technology must continually evolve to meet new data protection and security requirements especially where there’s potential for fraud” said Mark Goros, Chief Executive Officer at Caringo. “The burden of proving digital records authentic falls on the shoulders of organizations, both public and private and CAStor allows them to ensure they are able to address compliance and evidentiary mandates today and in the future.”

Caringo