Dataset-Driven Network Security Using Header and Footer Policies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data security systems incur unnecessary costs by maintaining heightened security levels for all datasets, including those that do not require it, leading to inefficiencies and increased expenses.

Innovation Solution

A system that dynamically adjusts data security and encryption enforcement based on the type of dataset being processed, using headers and footers to install and remove security requirements as needed, ensuring adequate protection only for sensitive data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If heightened security levels are maintained for all datasets, then data protection reliability is improved, but system costs and resource utilization increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protection reliabilityVSAvoidsystem costs and resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different security levels to different datasets based on their sensitivity requirements. Headers associated with each dataset specify particular security and encryption requirements that are enforced only for that dataset, rather than applying uniform heightened security to all data. This local differentiation maintains necessary protection for sensitive information while reducing resource consumption for less sensitive data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The security enforcement mechanism dynamically adjusts protection levels based on the specific dataset being processed. The system reads header information to determine appropriate security requirements and enforces them accordingly during data transmission and storage. This dynamic approach allows security levels to be optimized for each dataset rather than maintaining static heightened security across the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If uniform high security enforcement is applied to all data, then data security reliability is improved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata security reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity and processing overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by associating specific security requirements with individual datasets through headers. Each dataset carries its own security policy information, allowing the system to enforce appropriate protection levels only where needed. This eliminates the complexity of managing uniform high-security enforcement across all data while maintaining security reliability for sensitive information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If security requirements are dynamically adjusted based on dataset type, then resource efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by embedding security requirement information directly in headers associated with each dataset. The system automatically reads these headers and enforces the specified security and encryption requirements without requiring external configuration or manual intervention. This self-configuring approach enables dynamic security adjustment and improved resource efficiency while minimizing the complexity of external security management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12549603B2Dynamic data security requirements in a network
Publication Date: 2026.02.10 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US12549603B2 patent drawing
  • US12549603B2 patent drawing
  • US12549603B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems, methods and/or computer program products for dynamically adjusting levels of data security, encryption enforcement, confidentiality, network policies and other parameters within a network and at processing nodes thereof, implementing heightened levels of security and encryption as needed, based on the type of datasets being processed. Enforcement and removal of data security, encryption requirements, confidentiality, network policies and other parameters at the nodes of the network is performed using headers and footers added to the source dataset. Headers prescribe the heightened level of security or encryption being enforced at each node of the network along the source dataset's flow trajectory, while footers follow the completed processing of the source dataset and indicates to the nodes along the data flow trajectory the conditions for removing the heightened level of security, encryption, confidentiality, network policies and other parameters prescribed by the headers.