Data File Protection via Authorized Software Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Targeted threats, such as advanced persistent threats (APTs), pose a significant challenge in information security as they can stealthily target specific entities, often mimicking legitimate user behavior, making it difficult for system administrators to detect and protect sensitive data from theft or sabotage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of systems and methods that identify authorized software programs capable of opening data files and detect unauthorized attempts, utilizing reputation data from a reputation database to determine the trustworthiness of processes involved, and initiating security actions when untrustworthy programs are detected, such as disabling or deleting the software, displaying warnings, or notifying administrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional security monitoring is used to detect targeted threats, then system administrators can monitor network traffic, but the ability to distinguish between legitimate and malicious behavior is insufficient because targeted threats mimic legitimate user behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a baseline of legitimate user behavior and authorized software access patterns before threats occur. It proactively defines what normal behavior looks like across different users, applications, and time periods, enabling the system to detect deviations that indicate targeted threats rather than relying on reactive signature-based detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring software access to data files and comparing actual access patterns against the established baseline of legitimate behavior. When unauthorized or anomalous access is detected, the system provides feedback through alerts and notifications to security administrators, enabling continuous refinement of detection accuracy based on observed patterns.
2Reliability
If security checks are performed on all data access attempts to prevent data theft, then data security is improved, but system performance and user experience deteriorate due to increased monitoring overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial monitoring action by focusing security checks specifically on software programs attempting to access data files, rather than monitoring all system activities equally. It implements selective surveillance that applies enhanced scrutiny only when relevant security risks are present, such as when unauthorized software attempts to open protected files, thereby maintaining security without imposing excessive overhead on normal system operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and isolates the security verification process from general system operations by implementing a separate module that specifically handles software access monitoring. This extracted security function operates independently, allowing comprehensive data access monitoring without burdening the core application performance, as the security checks are performed in a dedicated subsystem rather than embedded in every application workflow.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive monitoring of software usage is implemented to identify unauthorized access, then detection capability is improved, but the complexity of implementing and maintaining the monitoring system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by implementing a multi-functional monitoring module that simultaneously performs multiple security tasks: tracking which software programs access data files, identifying the users involved, determining the purpose of access, and detecting unauthorized patterns. This single integrated module handles diverse monitoring requirements without requiring separate specialized systems for each function, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive detection capability.
4Reliability
If security actions are automatically taken when unauthorized access is detected to prevent data loss, then data protection is improved, but the risk of false positives affecting legitimate operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback loops that allow security administrators to review and adjust automatic security actions based on observed patterns and false positive reports. When legitimate software is mistakenly blocked, the system provides feedback mechanisms for administrators to whitelist authorized applications or adjust detection thresholds, enabling continuous refinement of the balance between security enforcement and legitimate operations without manual intervention for every incident.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for protecting data files may include (1) identifying a data file to be protected against data loss, (2) identifying a set of software programs permitted to open the data file by (a) identifying a format of the data file and (b) identifying at least one software program capable of opening files of the format of the data file, (3) detecting an attempt to open the data file by a software program not included in the set of software programs, and (4) performing a security action in response to detecting the attempt to open the data file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.