Category-Directed Parser for Cloud Data Loss Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of cloud-based services poses challenges in developing service-specific parsers to monitor and prevent data loss, as companies struggle to manage and protect sensitive data across multiple devices and networks, with many cloud services lacking available parsers for data loss prevention (DLP) solutions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of category-directed parsers that synthesize interaction syntax patterns from sample providers within categories, along with the use of generic parsers for unknown services, to collect metadata and enforce DLP policies across various cloud-based services, ensuring consistent data protection and compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If service-specific parsers are developed for each cloud-based service, then data loss prevention accuracy is improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal parser framework that can handle multiple cloud-based services through category-directed parsing. Instead of developing separate parsers for each service, the system uses a single parser infrastructure that adapts to different services by selecting appropriate parsing rules based on service categories, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining prevention accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments cloud-based services into categories (e.g., storage services, collaboration services, communication services) and develops specific parsing rules for each category rather than for each individual service. This segmentation approach reduces parser complexity by grouping services with similar data structures and interaction patterns together
2Adaptability or versatility
If parsers are developed for all known cloud services, then coverage of data loss prevention is improved, but loss of time for parser development and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary categorization of cloud services and pre-configures parsing rules for each category. When a new service is encountered, the system automatically matches it to an appropriate category and applies the corresponding parsing rules, eliminating the need for time-consuming custom parser development for each new service
Solution Approach 2:
The universal parser framework enables a single parsing system to handle diverse cloud services by leveraging category-based rule selection, thereby achieving broad service coverage without proportionally increasing development time
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional on-premise security approaches are used for cloud services, then existing security infrastructure can be leveraged, but control and monitoring capability over cloud data is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary between users and cloud services. This proxy intercepts and monitors all communications with cloud services, enabling traditional security infrastructure to effectively control and monitor cloud data operations without requiring changes to the underlying cloud service architecture
Data Source
AI summary
The technology disclosed applies data loss prevention (DLP) to those cloud-applications for which no application-specific parser is available. Known cloud applications can be arranged in categories of services such as “personal pages and blog,”“news websites,”“cloud-based storage services,” and “social media services.” A category includes a list of uniform resource locators (URLs) of providers of cloud applications that allow users to perform similar activities. The various providers in a category use different syntaxes to implement services in the category. The disclosed category-directed parsers synthesize interaction syntax patterns of a sample of providers in the category. A category-directed parser collects metadata from known cloud applications using multiple category-directed match rules synthesized from syntaxes used by the sample providers in the category. The metadata collected by the category-directed parser enables the DLP processor to focus analysis of the content being conveyed via a corresponding API.