Application Security via Dynamic Risk Assessment and Interception

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Solution Overview

Problem

Organizations face difficulties in identifying and protecting vulnerable applications from malicious communications due to fluctuating vulnerability factors and the complexity of inter-application interactions, making it challenging to prevent data breaches and malicious activities.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that calculate risk values and scores for communications, identifying vulnerable applications by intercepting and blocking malicious communications based on predetermined thresholds, using application wrappers to verify identities and apply security rules dynamically.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If dynamic risk assessment and blocking rules are implemented, then application security is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the security assessment process into distinct modules: risk value calculation for individual communications, risk score aggregation for applications, risk profile score computation considering communication patterns and relationships, and separate blocking rule generation. This segmentation allows each component to be independently optimized and managed, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary security system that sits between applications and communications, automatically calculating risk values, generating blocking rules, and intercepting communications without requiring direct modification of the applications themselves. This intermediary layer simplifies the architecture by centralizing security logic and eliminating the need for complex application-level security implementations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If comprehensive monitoring of inter-application communications is implemented, then vulnerability detection capability is improved, but processing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevulnerability detection capabilityVSAvoidprocessing overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by selectively monitoring and analyzing communications based on pre-established risk thresholds and communication patterns. Rather than comprehensively analyzing every communication detail, the system focuses on identifying high-risk communications that exceed threshold values or exhibit suspicious patterns, thereby reducing processing overhead while maintaining effective vulnerability detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements continuous risk assessment and monitoring as an ongoing process that operates in the background, continuously calculating risk values and updating blocking rules without interrupting normal application operations. This continuous action ensures timely detection of vulnerabilities while distributing the processing load over time rather than concentrating it in single intensive operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11200324B1Methods, systems, and media for protecting applications from malicious communications
Publication Date: 2021.12.14 MCAFEE LLC
  • US11200324B1 patent drawing
  • US11200324B1 patent drawing
  • US11200324B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, systems, and media for protecting applications from malicious communications are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises: receiving a rule that indicates that communications from a source application to a destination application are to be blocked, wherein the rule is generated by: calculating risk values associated with communications transmitted by the source application; calculating a risk score for the source application; identifying a group of applications that have communicated with the source application; calculating a risk profile score for the source application; and in response to determining that the risk profile score exceeds a threshold, generating the rule; intercepting a communication to the destination application; determining whether to transmit the communication to the destination application; and in response to determining that the communication is not to be transmitted to the destination application, blocking the communication.