Browser Extension Detecting Sensitive Cloud Uploads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users inadvertently upload or download sensitive information, such as personally identifiable information, to cloud applications without proper encryption, violating regulations and potentially leading to reputational damage and economic losses.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system using a browser extension that detects sensitive information in real-time, alerts users, and prevents its transmission to the cloud, employing a machine learning model to reduce false positives and ensure compliance with regulations through real-time correction and remediation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cloud applications include automatic upload features to improve user convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but sensitive information may be transmitted unprotected without proper encryption
Solution Approach 1:
A browser extension acts as an intermediary between the user's browser and cloud upload functionality. The extension intercepts file uploads, scans for sensitive information using detection algorithms, and blocks transmissions containing unprotected sensitive data while allowing legitimate uploads to proceed, thus maintaining user convenience while preventing harmful transmissions
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by notifying users when sensitive information is detected in their uploads. The browser extension provides real-time alerts and warnings to users about potential security issues with their uploads, enabling them to correct or review their actions before data is transmitted to the cloud
2Device complexity
If sensitive information is transmitted without proper encryption to maintain simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of data protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The browser extension performs preliminary detection and validation of uploaded files before they are transmitted to the cloud. By scanning files for sensitive information patterns and blocking problematic uploads in advance, the system ensures data protection reliability without requiring complex encryption infrastructure on the user's device
3Measurement precision
If cloud applications monitor all file transfers to detect sensitive information, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to monitoring overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The browser extension applies targeted detection only to specific file types and upload contexts where sensitive information is most likely to be found. Rather than uniformly monitoring all data transmissions with equal intensity, the system focuses computational resources on high-risk scenarios, maintaining measurement precision while minimizing productivity impact
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments pertain to protecting sensitive information in an electronic file moving between a web browser and a cloud. A web browser extension associated with a web browser can detect a connection to a cloud service and monitor an electronic file designated by a user to be transferred between the cloud service and the web browser. The browser extension can subsequently detect that the electronic file includes sensitive information and activate a security action to detect the sensitive information. The security action can include, among other things, blocking the transfer, quarantining the file, or requesting the sensitive information be removed or obfuscated.