Encrypted Email Attachment Decryption and Malware Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network perimeter defenses, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, are unable to analyze encrypted attachments in emails, allowing malware to bypass security checks and infect private networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that intercepts emails, analyzes attachments for encryption, uses stored hashes and passwords to attempt decryption, and redirects recipients to enter new passwords for encrypted attachments, ensuring secure decryption and safety checks before releasing the files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If perimeter defenses (firewalls, IDS, IPS) are used to protect the private network, then network security against public network attacks is improved, but encrypted attachments are unable to be analyzed and can bypass the defenses
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment manager performs preliminary actions by intercepting emails and analyzing attachments before they reach the private network. Encrypted attachments are identified and decrypted using stored passwords or hash comparisons before security analysis, preventing malware from bypassing perimeter defenses through encryption.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment manager acts as an intermediary component between the perimeter defenses and the private network. It intercepts emails, handles encrypted attachments through decryption attempts using password repositories and hash comparisons, and only allows cleared attachments to proceed, thus bridging the gap between perimeter security and internal protection.
2Ease of operation
If encrypted attachments are allowed to pass through perimeter defenses, then email communication convenience is improved, but malware can infect the private network through these attachments
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary decryption and security analysis on encrypted attachments before they are delivered to recipients. By attempting to decrypt using stored passwords and comparing hashes, the system identifies and blocks malicious attachments while allowing legitimate ones to pass through, maintaining communication convenience without security risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful encryption mechanism (used by malware to hide threats) into a beneficial feature. By intercepting and decrypting attachments using stored passwords and hash comparisons, the system transforms encrypted malware into detectable files for security analysis, while legitimate encrypted attachments are properly delivered to recipients.
3Reliability
If the attachment manager attempts to decrypt all encrypted attachments using known passwords, then security analysis capability is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment manager applies partial decryption attempts using a repository of known passwords rather than attempting to decrypt all encrypted attachments exhaustively. By comparing attachment hashes against stored hashes and using known passwords selectively, the system achieves sufficient security analysis without excessive processing time or computational resources.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for analyzing an attachment of an electronic mail (e-mail) transmitted from an external network may include intercepting the e-mail comprising the attachment intended for a recipient. The method may include analyzing the attachment for encryption to identify an encrypted attachment. The method may include determining whether the encrypted attachment has been received previously by the recipient by comparing a hash corresponding to the encrypted attachment against a plurality of hashes stored in an attachment repository. The method may include attempting to open the encrypted attachment using a password from a password repository comprising a plurality of known passwords. The method may include extracting the encrypted attachment from the e-mail upon failing to open the encrypted attachment using the plurality of known passwords. The method may include redirecting the recipient to an interface configured to prompt the recipient for a new password that is associated with the encrypted attachment.