Mobile App Data Transmission Security via Intermediary Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing concern in the internet industry regarding data security, particularly with the increasing use of mobile applications (APPs), as existing technologies have not effectively addressed the risk of data transmission outside secure regions, which is critical for protecting user privacy and adhering to legal regulations.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a User Equipment (UE) terminal detects a starting instruction for a target APP, sends APP information to a server, receives a transmission risk detection result, and displays the result, while the server acquires and sends this result back to the UE, indicating whether data is transmitted out of a secure region, using a risk database or by running a test on a test UE to determine potential security risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data transmission is monitored and controlled to ensure security compliance, then data security and regulatory compliance are improved, but system complexity and operational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a security agent as an intermediary component that runs within the application process space. This agent acts as a mediator between the application and the operating system kernel, monitoring data transmission operations without requiring complex modifications to the application itself or the kernel. The security agent intercepts system calls related to data transmission, checks them against security policies, and enforces compliance, thereby improving data security while keeping the overall system architecture relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The security agent operates autonomously within the application process, self-managing the security monitoring and enforcement functions. It automatically detects data transmission operations, evaluates them against security policies, and takes appropriate actions without requiring external intervention or complex centralized control mechanisms. This self-service approach reduces system complexity by distributing security functionality to individual processes rather than requiring a complex centralized security management system.
2Reliability
If comprehensive security detection is implemented for all applications, then security coverage and risk detection capability are improved, but processing overhead and system performance decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements security monitoring at the local level within each application process space rather than applying uniform comprehensive monitoring system-wide. The security agent is instantiated within each process and only monitors data transmission operations specific to that process, applying security policies locally. This approach provides comprehensive security coverage across all applications while reducing processing overhead by avoiding redundant system-wide monitoring and evaluation for each data operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The security agent implements selective monitoring that focuses on partial actions - specifically data transmission operations - rather than monitoring all possible application operations. By concentrating security detection efforts on the specific risk area of data transmission (rather than attempting to monitor every application function), the system achieves effective security coverage for the critical function while minimizing processing overhead and maintaining system performance.
3Measurement precision
If real-time data transmission monitoring is performed, then security risk detection capability is improved, but computational resources and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining security policies and compliance rules before data transmission operations occur. The security agent is pre-configured with security policies that specify what constitutes compliant data transmission. When data transmission operations occur, the agent simply evaluates them against these pre-established policies rather than performing complex real-time analysis, thereby maintaining high risk detection capability while reducing computational resource consumption during actual data operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A starting instruction directed at a target application (APP) is detected. The starting instruction is adapted to starting the target APP. APP information of the target APP is sent to a server according to the starting instruction. A transmission risk detection result returned by the server according to the APP information is received. The transmission risk detection result indicates whether an operation that transmits data out of a secure region is performed while the target APP is running. The transmission risk detection result is displayed.