Embedded Code Authentication for Secure Document Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security techniques often indiscriminately disable all active content in electronic documents to prevent malicious code, which can lead to loss of productivity as they also block non-malicious content, making it difficult for enterprises to balance security and usability.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that authenticate embedded code elements against a whitelist of trustworthy code elements, allowing only trusted code elements to remain active and accessible, while disabling or removing untrustworthy ones, thereby preserving productivity while maintaining security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all active content is disabled or removed to prevent malicious code, then security is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to loss of useful functionalities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments active content into trusted and untrusted categories by maintaining a whitelist of authenticated code elements. Instead of treating all active content uniformly, the system divides them based on authentication status, allowing trusted macros to execute while blocking untrusted ones, thus resolving the contradiction between security and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different security treatments to different parts of active content based on their authentication status. Trusted code elements from authenticated sources are allowed to execute with full functionality, while untrusted code elements are blocked. This local differentiation enables useful functionalities to remain productive while maintaining security
2Reliability
If application-based solutions with default settings are used to block active content, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to cumbersome configuration and user override steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service security by automatically authenticating code elements against a whitelist and making authentication decisions without user intervention. The system autonomously determines which active content is trusted and which is untrusted, eliminating the need for users to manually configure security settings or override blocks, thus maintaining both security and ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
Method and system for protecting an executing environment from malicious code elements, one exemplary method including compiling a set of trustworthy code elements, each code element being executable using an application. The method further includes determining whether the file contains an embedded code element. If the file contains an embedded element, the embedded code element can be authenticated based on the stored set of code elements, to determine whether the embedded code element is trustworthy. Access to the file can be enabled in response to an authentication result that the embedded code element is trustworthy.