CPE Remote Access Blocking for Scam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Technical support scams target vulnerable individuals by gaining remote access to their computers, leading to financial exploitation through various means, including support contracts, refunds, and money laundering operations, which existing cybersecurity measures fail to effectively prevent.
Innovation Solution
A method involving intercepting and analyzing data communication to detect simultaneous activity of remote access and online banking software, blocking the remote access connection to prevent scam execution, and providing warnings to users to prevent financial transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing cybersecurity measures are used, then general security is maintained, but technical support scams cannot be effectively prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of remote access software installation and simultaneous online banking activity before the scammer can execute financial exploitation. By detecting the coincidence of these two activities in advance, the system blocks the scam execution before it completes, preventing financial loss while maintaining manageable system complexity through targeted monitoring rather than comprehensive security overhaul.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If remote access software is blocked, then scam execution is prevented, but legitimate remote support is also hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors for the simultaneous occurrence of remote access software activity and online banking activity as a feedback mechanism to identify scam scenarios. By requiring both conditions to be present simultaneously to trigger a block, the system distinguishes between legitimate remote support (which typically doesn't involve concurrent banking operations) and scam scenarios, thereby preventing scams while minimizing interference with legitimate operations.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive monitoring is implemented, then scam detection accuracy is improved, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial monitoring by focusing specifically on the coincidence of remote access software activity and online banking activity, rather than monitoring all system operations comprehensively. This targeted approach achieves high scam detection accuracy for the specific threat pattern while consuming minimal system resources, as it only activates detailed monitoring when both specific conditions are simultaneously present.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, apparatus, computer program product, and computerreadable medium for technical support scam protection. Data communication of a user apparatus via a customer-premises equipment, CPE, is intercepted (106). The CPE implements a local area network for the data communication of the user apparatus. First network traffic related to a remote access software in the user apparatus is detected (108) in the data communication. Second network traffic related to an online banking software in the user apparatus is detected (114) in the data communication. The first network traffic and the second network traffic are determined to coincide (128). In response to determining (128) that the first network traffic and the second network traffic coincide, the first network traffic related to the remote access software in the user apparatus is blocked (138) via the CPE.