CDN Tokenization for Secure Payment Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed content delivery networks (CDNs), sensitive data such as credit card information is not adequately protected during payment transactions, as existing secure content delivery methods do not involve the CDN in processing sensitive data, leaving it vulnerable to compromise.
Innovation Solution
The CDN implements cryptographic techniques by creating a key pair for each card issuer, where the public key is used to compute a value from the credit card data, which is then processed and stored as a token, ensuring that the actual data is never stored on the CDN edge server, and only the secret key is maintained by the card issuer, preventing data exposure even if the CDN is compromised.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the CDN processes and stores sensitive payment data to enable payment transactions, then payment processing capability is improved, but security risk increases due to potential CDN compromise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts sensitive payment data from the CDN environment entirely. Instead of storing credit card data on CDN edge servers, the system uses tokenization to replace sensitive data with non-sensitive tokens that can be safely stored and processed by the CDN. The actual sensitive data remains only in the tokenization service provider's secure environment, eliminating the security risk while maintaining payment processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a tokenization service provider as an intermediary between the CDN and the payment processing system. This intermediary converts sensitive payment data into tokens before they reach the CDN, and can reconstruct them when needed. The CDN thus handles only tokenized data, never exposing sensitive information, while the intermediary maintains the ability to process actual payments when required.
2Productivity
If the CDN stores tokenized payment data to enable future transactions, then transaction efficiency is improved, but data exposure risk increases if tokens are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable, single-use tokens that are generated for specific transactions and then invalidated. Each token can be used only once or for a limited purpose, so even if a token is compromised or stolen, it cannot be reused for additional transactions. This eliminates the risk associated with storing reusable sensitive data while maintaining the efficiency of having pre-generated tokens available for quick transaction processing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the CDN service provider handles payment processing directly, then service integration is improved, but liability and risk exposure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tokenization service provider acts as an intermediary that enables the CDN to offer integrated payment processing without directly handling sensitive data. The CDN integrates with the tokenization service to provide seamless payment capabilities to merchants, while the actual sensitive data handling remains with the specialized tokenization provider, thus maintaining service integration while limiting the CDN's risk exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sensitive data handling function from the CDN service provider's responsibilities. By using tokenization, the CDN can offer payment processing as an integrated service without being responsible for securing or managing actual sensitive payment information, thereby reducing liability and risk exposure while maintaining service integration.
Data Source
AI summary
Using cryptographic techniques, sensitive data is protected against disclosure in the event of a compromise of a content delivery network (CDN) edge infrastructure. These techniques obviate storage and/or transfer of such sensitive data, even with respect to payment transactions that are being authorized or otherwise enabled from CDN edge servers.