Abstract
This disclosure describes a method of enforcing data residency by cryptography rather than by policy alone. Each deposit in a federated custody network carries machine-readable terms that list the regions in which it may be stored and processed. Each custody node is bound to a certified site: its installation is inspected, its hardware identity is recorded against the site's location in a public registry, and the binding is renewed by periodic attestation. Tamper and motion sensors on the node sign their readings; if the node is opened, moved or loses power beyond a declared period, its site binding is suspended until it is inspected again. Firmware in the node's key vault releases a deposit key only to an attested enclave at a node whose current, unsuspended site binding lies in a region that the deposit's terms permit, and the depositor's own policy agent checks the same condition before releasing its share of the key. Replication to another node follows the same rule. Data that is copied to a node outside its permitted regions therefore remains encrypted and unreadable there. Every release and refusal is recorded in a tamper-evident ledger.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Wang, Edward D. H., "SI Data Bank™: Data Residency Enforced by Releasing Deposit Keys Only to Nodes that Attest a Certified Site in a Permitted Region", Technical Disclosure Commons, (October 13, 2026)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/12167