Agentless Security Services for IoT Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endpoint security solutions are inadequate for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other 'stripped-down' devices with limited processing, memory, and storage capabilities, as they often require traditional endpoint agents that are not feasible for installation, and updating security software on home gateways is challenging due to their low compute and memory capacities and large installed base.
Innovation Solution
Implementing cloud-based security services that work without any agent on the home gateway or router, using protocols like TR69 to configure routing rules from the cloud, and employing a DNS forwarder/recursive resolver to uniquely identify devices and apply network policies, allowing for agentless security without software or hardware changes on existing gateways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional endpoint security agents are installed on devices, then security protection is improved, but device compatibility and ease of deployment worsen for IoT and stripped-down devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a home gateway as an intermediary device that provides security services to all endpoints in the network. Instead of installing agents on each endpoint device, the gateway acts as a central mediator that inspects, filters, and controls traffic from all devices including IoT devices, traditional computers, and mobile devices. This resolves the contradiction by providing universal security protection without requiring agent installation on any specific device type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional security architecture by moving the security function from the endpoint (where agents are installed) to the network gateway. Instead of endpoints initiating security protection through local agents, the gateway proactively provides security services to endpoints. This inversion allows IoT and stripped-down devices to receive security protection without needing to run any security software locally.
2Reliability
If security software is updated on home gateways, then security effectiveness is improved, but deployment complexity and time increase due to large installed base and limited gateway capacities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated update mechanisms where the home gateway autonomously receives, validates, and installs security software updates without requiring manual user intervention or complex deployment processes. The gateway service automatically manages the update lifecycle including downloading updates from the cloud, verifying their integrity, and applying them to the security functions. This self-service capability dramatically reduces deployment time and simplifies the process for managing large installed bases of gateways.
3Productivity
If home gateways are equipped with more compute and memory capacity, then security service performance is improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security service functions into modular components that can be independently managed and optimized. Instead of requiring the gateway to handle all security functions with high computational demand, the security services are divided into distinct modules (e.g., threat intelligence, malware detection, policy enforcement) that can be distributed across the gateway's processing resources or even offloaded to cloud services. This segmentation allows the gateway to provide robust security services without requiring a single high-performance hardware configuration, thereby reducing overall device complexity and cost.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed in one example a computing apparatus, including: a hardware platform including a processor, a memory, and a network interface; and instructions encoded within the memory to instruct the processor to: receive an incoming packet via the network interface; extract from the incoming packet a source port and a source internet protocol (IP) address; correlate the source port and source IP to a device identifier (ID); receive a network policy for the device ID; and apply the network policy to the incoming packet.