Browser Security Overlay Using URL Fingerprints for SaaS Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Security solutions provided by security vendors for cloud-based targets hosted offsite by CSPs result in cumbersome navigation between separate displays and workflows for customers, as the infrastructure is managed by third parties, leading to inefficient access to security information.
Innovation Solution
A browser extension integrates security information from security vendors with web pages of cloud-based targets by fingerprinting URLs and HTML/XML patterns, allowing for a consolidated view of web page content and security details within a single browser display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If security information is embedded server-side into HTML documents, then security information can be delivered to users, but the user cannot distinguish between content from different sources and the information lacks context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security information into separate, identifiable components within the HTML document. Security information is delivered as distinct data elements that can be individually processed and associated with their source contexts, rather than being merged into undifferentiated HTML content. This allows the browser to maintain context awareness while preserving system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (security information module in the browser) that receives security information from multiple sources, processes it with contextual awareness, and presents it to the user. This intermediary layer enables context preservation without requiring complex server-side integration, as the browser handles the complexity of source attribution and context management.
2Loss of information
If security information is delivered without source identification, then delivery is simple, but the information cannot be properly contextualized or prioritized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by associating specific attributes (source identification, context metadata) with each security information element individually. Each piece of security information carries its own source context and prioritization data, enabling differentiated handling without complicating the overall delivery mechanism. The browser processes each element with its specific context intact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-tagging security information with source identification and context metadata before delivery. This pre-processing occurs at the information generation stage, so that when the information reaches the browser, it already contains all necessary contextual data for proper presentation and prioritization, eliminating the need for complex real-time source tracking.
3Loss of information
If users receive security information from multiple sources without source identification, then information completeness is improved, but user understanding and response capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual differentiation (analogous to color changes) to distinguish security information from different sources. The browser presents information with source-specific visual indicators that allow users to quickly identify and differentiate between multiple security alerts. This visual coding system enables users to comprehend and respond to multiple sources of security information efficiently without confusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-organizing and tagging security information with source identification and prioritization metadata before delivery to the user. This pre-processing enables the browser to automatically sort, group, and present information in a user-friendly manner, allowing users to understand and respond to security alerts from multiple sources without manual sorting or analysis.
Data Source
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AI summary
A browser extension produces a single view comprising content of web pages of a target vendor requested by a customer and corresponding security information for the target vendor maintained for the customer. Fingerprints of the target vendor's web page URLs and web page elements corresponding to resources, respectively, are determined. As the web browser retrieves web pages and the customer selects web page elements that identify resources, the browser extension matches URLs and/or HTML/XML syntactic patterns of the retrieved web pages to the fingerprints to determine the security information to obtain from backend storage. The type/granularity of information that is retrieved can vary depending on the identified fingerprint match. The browser extension retrieves security information corresponding to fingerprints for which matches are identified, generates security overviews therefrom, and integrates the security overviews into the requested web pages to generate a consolidated, multi-perspective view.