Browser Plug-in for Web Page Authentication via Digital Signatures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reputation-based systems for trustworthiness in online transactions are vulnerable to spoofing, as security indicators are often displayed outside the primary focus of the user, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent trust seals.
Innovation Solution
A custom plug-in for web browsers evaluates digitally signed content before displaying web page content, allowing users to select personalized adornments that enhance the visibility and authenticity of trust seals, making it harder for third parties to spoof them.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If reputation seals are displayed outside the primary focus area (toolbar or status bar), then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of authentication decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the authentication indicator from the peripheral toolbar/status bar area to the main content area of the web page, changing its spatial dimension and visibility context. This allows the seal to be displayed within the primary focus area where users are already looking, thereby improving authentication reliability without significantly increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary component that integrates the reputation seal directly into the web page content delivery mechanism. This intermediary ensures that only authenticated content with valid digital signatures can display the seal in the primary focus area, thereby enhancing authentication reliability while maintaining system efficiency
2Reliability
If security indicators are displayed in the primary focus area, then authentication reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the authentication indicator with the web page content delivery system by integrating the digital signature verification process into the existing content rendering pipeline. This combining of functions allows the seal to appear in the primary focus area without requiring a separate, complex authentication display system
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service authentication by automatically verifying digital signatures and displaying appropriate seals without requiring additional user action or complex manual verification processes. The browser plug-in autonomously evaluates the digitally signed content and renders the reputation indicator, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high authentication reliability
3Reliability
If digitally signed content is evaluated by a plug-in, then authentication reliability improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-attaching digital signatures to content at the source before transmission. This allows the browser plug-in to perform rapid verification of already-signed content rather than requiring complex real-time authentication, thereby improving trust verification while minimizing additional processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical authentication mechanisms with cryptographic digital signature verification. This substitution enables fast, automated trust verification through mathematical validation of digital signatures rather than requiring time-consuming manual verification processes, thus improving authentication reliability without significant time penalty
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for facilitating user authentication of web page content are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a request from a web browser for web page content; and responsive to receipt of the request, providing to the web browser the requested web page content and associated digitally signed content; wherein prior to display of the web page content by the web browser, the digitally signed content is evaluated by a plug-in portion of the web browser to determine whether the digitally signed content is verified, indicating that a provider of the web page content is trustworthy.