Compliance Firewall for Secure Remote Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies do not allow customers to define compliance boundaries using a rules-based compliance firewall for their service providers, and service providers cannot perform automation on customer machines remotely while adhering to customer compliance requirements, posing a risk to data privacy and intellectual property protection.
Innovation Solution
A method employing remote access technology to access and update remote computers, determining their status, creating automation profiles, negotiating compliance protocols, and delivering execution files with a lightweight Play Engine to enable secure and compliant automation updates, allowing service providers to update remote machines without bidirectional communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If service providers use remote access technology to access and update remote computers, then automation capability is improved, but data security and compliance protection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a compliance firewall as an intermediary component that sits between the service provider's automation system and the customer's remote computer. This firewall monitors and controls all communications, allowing only pre-approved actions to pass through while blocking unauthorized access attempts. The firewall acts as a mediator that enables automation functionality while simultaneously protecting data security by filtering communications according to compliance rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the remote access architecture into distinct functional zones: the customer's controlled environment, the compliance firewall boundary, and the service provider's automation system. This segmentation allows automation tasks to be performed in the service provider zone while the firewall enforces security boundaries, preventing direct unauthorized access to the customer's data environment.
2Ease of operation
If bidirectional communication is established for remote access, then automation functionality is improved, but compliance boundary protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing bidirectional communication and then trying to restrict it, the system inverts the approach by implementing unidirectional communication from the service provider to the customer system only. The compliance firewall allows commands and updates to flow one way while blocking any return communication that would violate compliance boundaries, thus enforcing security by design rather than by restriction.
Solution Approach 2:
The compliance firewall serves as a mediator that receives automation commands from the service provider and selectively forwards only those that comply with customer-defined rules to the remote computer. This intermediary approach enables operational functionality while maintaining compliance boundaries by filtering communications based on pre-established security policies.
3Productivity
If service providers perform remote updates without compliance firewalls, then update efficiency is improved, but compliance requirement adherence deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by having customers pre-define their compliance rules and approved actions before any remote updates occur. The compliance firewall is configured in advance with customer-specified permissions, allowing service providers to execute updates efficiently without real-time compliance verification delays, while still ensuring adherence to predetermined compliance requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention generally relates to a process and computer code for enabling users to create adapters that enable application automation processes that allow customers to define compliance boundaries using a rules-based compliance firewall for their service providers and allow service providers to perform automation on customer machines remotely while adhering to customer's compliance requirements.