Encryption Proxy for Secure SaaS Backup Across Data Perimeters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise customers using SaaS platforms are reluctant to back up their sensitive data with third-party providers due to data breach risks, and existing redundancy and failover mechanisms do not protect against accidental data deletion, necessitating a solution that ensures data security and user experience during backup and restore processes without external access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an encryption proxy within a customer-controlled data perimeter that encrypts and decrypts data between a backup system and an external application, allowing customers to configure data transfer rules to control what data leaves the perimeter in cleartext or ciphertext, ensuring sensitive data remains protected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If customers back up sensitive data with third-party providers, then backup and restore capability is provided, but data breach risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
An encryption proxy is introduced as an intermediary component that resides within the customer's data perimeter. The proxy encrypts data before it leaves the customer's environment and decrypts it during restore operations. This mediator allows backup functionality while maintaining security boundaries, as the backup system never directly accesses or views the sensitive data in plaintext.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the backup process into distinct stages: data extraction within the customer perimeter, encryption transformation, secure transmission, and decryption during restore. By segmenting the process and placing the encryption proxy at the boundary, the system enables backup capability while isolating sensitive data from the external backup system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If encryption is applied to all data leaving the data perimeter, then data security is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption proxy dynamically determines which data fields require encryption based on configurable rules. Rather than applying static encryption to all data, the system adapts its behavior based on data type, sensitivity classification, and customer-defined policies. This dynamic approach maintains security while reducing unnecessary encryption overhead for non-sensitive data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the encryption parameter state based on data characteristics. Sensitive data fields are encrypted with strong encryption algorithms, while non-sensitive fields may be transmitted in plaintext or with lighter protection. Customer-configurable parameters allow flexible control over encryption strength and scope, balancing security requirements with operational efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an encryption proxy is introduced between external application and backup system, then data control is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption proxy is designed as a universal component that handles multiple functions: data encryption/decryption, rule-based field selection, secure communication protocol management, and restore operations. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional proxy, the system achieves fine-grained data control without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
4Ease of operation
If backup system is placed outside customer data perimeter, then backup accessibility is improved, but data security control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption proxy acts as a secure gateway that allows the backup system to operate outside the customer's data perimeter while maintaining security control. The proxy encrypts data before it crosses the perimeter boundary and manages the decryption process during restore operations. This intermediary arrangement provides backup accessibility to external systems while preventing direct exposure of sensitive data.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a system, method, and computer program for transmitting data between a backup system and an external application using an encryption proxy that is within a customer-controlled data perimeter. The encryption proxy virtually resides within a customer-controlled data perimeter and acts as an intermediary between the external application and backup system. The backup system is outside the customer-controlled data perimeter. Data is transferred between the external application and the backup system to perform backup and recovery operations. The encryption proxy encrypts and decrypts data messages between the external application and the backup application in accordance with configurable data transfer rules. The encryption proxy enables a customer to control which data items are transferred to the backup system in clear text and which data items are encrypted before being forwarded to the backup system. When performing a restore operation, encrypted data items transmitted from the backup application enroute to the external application are converted back to cleartext by the encryption proxy so that they are received as cleartext by the external application.