Content Name Embedding for CCN Privacy Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Content centric networks (CCN) face challenges in protecting content and related information from leakage and privacy violations, as existing methods fail to prevent unauthorized access and transmission of content names and domain information.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced where network devices generate content names that include content protection information, which is embedded within the name components, allowing for secure transmission control based on policy information, marking whether access is allowed or denied to specific network devices, and determining the disclosure range for content sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If content request messages are transmitted using content names in CCN, then content can be retrieved and shared across the network, but content names and domain information may be leaked to unauthorized devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent sharing capabilityVSAvoidcontent name leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The content name is segmented into multiple components including domain name information, content identifier, and protection information. Each component serves a specific function: the domain name component identifies the source domain, the content identifier specifies the requested content, and the protection information component contains access control policies. This segmentation allows the system to evaluate each component separately and apply selective filtering to prevent leakage of sensitive domain information while maintaining content sharing functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A network device acting as an intermediary is introduced between the content source and requesting devices. This intermediary device receives content request messages, evaluates them against stored protection information, and selectively controls message forwarding. The intermediary prevents unauthorized devices from obtaining content names and domain information by blocking requests that do not meet access policies, while allowing legitimate requests to pass through unchanged.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If content request messages are forwarded to external network devices, then content accessibility is improved, but privacy violation of content producers occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent accessibilityVSAvoidprivacy information loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Protection information including access policies and disclosure range restrictions is embedded in the content name components before content requests are generated. Network devices perform preliminary evaluation of incoming requests by comparing them against pre-stored protection information. This preliminary action enables proactive prevention of privacy violations by blocking requests to external devices that exceed authorized disclosure ranges, while maintaining ease of access for authorized requests within permitted domains.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If content protection information is embedded in content names, then unauthorized access is prevented, but message structure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess control securityVSAvoidmessage structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Protection information is merged directly into the content name structure by incorporating access control policies and disclosure range data as additional components within the existing content name format. This merging approach integrates security functionality into the already-established content naming convention, avoiding the need for separate protection metadata structures. The unified structure reduces overall system complexity compared to maintaining separate protection information databases, while still providing robust access control through the embedded policies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2720166B1Content name-based network device and method for protecting content
Publication Date: 2019.02.06 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2720166B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2720166B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2720166B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A content protection method includes generating content protection information regarding a content to be protected by a content producer, and generating a content name indicating a location of the content in content name based networks based on the content protection information. The content protection information may include at least one of marking information indicating whether the content is protected and policy information indicating a disclosure range of the content.