API Path Tracing for Geographic Security Policy Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security policies for API calls in cloud-native architectures fail to account for the actual network path taken, despite the endpoint being permitted, which can defeat compliance rules by traversing undesired locations.
Innovation Solution
Implement path tracing mechanisms using distributed agents throughout the network to capture and verify the path taken by API calls, enabling enforcement of security policies based on the actual traversed path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If security policies only check endpoint geographic location, then policy enforcement is simple, but actual network path security cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network path verification into multiple independent components: path tracing agents deployed at different network nodes, separate policy evaluation modules, and independent compliance checking mechanisms. Each agent independently traces and reports path segments, allowing comprehensive verification without requiring complex centralized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary path tracing and verification before API calls are executed. By pre-establishing baseline network paths and identifying prohibited locations in advance, the system can block non-compliant calls before they occur, rather than reacting after violations happen.
2Measurement precision
If path tracing is implemented using distributed agents, then path verification accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distributed agents are designed as multi-functional components that can operate in multiple modes: passive path monitoring, active tracing on demand, compliance verification, and anomaly detection. This universal design reduces the need for separate specialized systems while maintaining high verification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Each distributed agent autonomously performs path tracing and verification tasks without requiring constant central coordination. Agents independently monitor their local network segments, make autonomous compliance decisions, and only report anomalies to the central system, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If geographic restrictions are enforced on API endpoints, then compliance with regional policies is achieved, but traffic may still traverse prohibited locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where path tracing agents monitor actual traffic routes in real-time, compare them against prohibited locations, and provide immediate feedback to the policy enforcement system. This enables dynamic adjustment of routing decisions to prevent traversal of restricted areas while maintaining endpoint compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively identifies and blocks network paths that would traverse prohibited locations before API calls are initiated. By pre-analyzing potential routes and applying counter-measures against paths containing restricted locations, the system prevents compliance violations before they occur.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a device receives traffic flow information regarding an application programming interface call made to a particular endpoint via a path in a network. The device requests, based on the traffic flow information, that a plurality of distributed agents in the network perform a trace of the path taken by the application programming interface call. The device receives results from the trace of the path performed by the plurality of distributed agents. The device causes a security policy to be enforced with respect to application programming interface calls made to the particular endpoint, based on the results from the trace.