Adaptive Data Compression for Encrypted Channel Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cryptographic protocols do not adequately ensure the security of data transmitted over networks, as malicious parties can infer secret information by monitoring the size of encrypted data packets, leading to potential attacks like the Compression Ratio Info-leak Made Easy (CRIME) exploit, while full encryption without compression increases computing resource usage and latency.

Innovation Solution

Implementing adaptive data compression that dynamically adjusts compression levels based on the operational threshold of the encrypted communications channel, increasing compression when the channel is above capacity and decreasing or disabling it when below, to maintain bandwidth efficiency and thwart malicious inference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If data is compressed before encryption to reduce bandwidth usage, then transmission efficiency is improved, but security is worsened because packet size patterns reveal information about the encrypted content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth usageVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the compression level based on current network conditions and security requirements. When network bandwidth is abundant, compression is reduced or disabled to maintain security. When bandwidth is constrained, compression is increased to improve transmission efficiency. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize the trade-off between bandwidth usage and security in real-time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the compression parameter (compression ratio) based on operational thresholds. By monitoring network capacity and adjusting the compression level accordingly, the system can operate at high compression ratios when bandwidth is available, and reduce compression when network capacity is limited, thereby adapting to varying security and performance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of energy

If compression is always applied to encrypted data, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but latency increases due to additional processing overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth usageVSAvoidlatency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of always applying maximum compression, the system applies partial compression only when necessary based on network conditions. When bandwidth is abundant, compression is minimized or disabled, reducing processing overhead and latency. When bandwidth is constrained, compression is applied to the extent needed to achieve efficient bandwidth utilization, balancing the trade-off between bandwidth savings and processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If encryption is applied without compression, then security is improved by preventing information leakage, but computing resource usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcomputing resource usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the compression level based on current network conditions and security requirements. When network bandwidth is abundant, compression is reduced or disabled to maintain security. When bandwidth is constrained, compression is increased to improve transmission efficiency. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize the trade-off between bandwidth usage and security in real-time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the compression parameter (compression ratio) based on operational thresholds. By monitoring network capacity and adjusting the compression level accordingly, the system can operate at high compression ratios when bandwidth is available, and reduce compression when network capacity is limited, thereby adapting to varying security and performance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3061224B1Secure communications using adaptive data compression
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3061224B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3061224B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3061224B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for communicating using adaptive data compression. A system is configured to compare operation of an encrypted communications channel to at least one operational threshold for the encrypted communications channel and select a level of compression for the encrypted communications channel based on the comparing. The system is further configured to compress data packets to be transmitted over the encrypted communications channel in accordance with the level of compression, encrypt the data packets, and transmit, via a network, the encrypted and compressed data packets to a destination.