Gateway Document Tracking via URL Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for preventing document leakage, such as encryption and watermarking, fail to track usage information like opening time and location once a document is leaked, and are ineffective when documents are encrypted or copied using mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
A document tracking method involving a gateway device and server system that inserts specific URLs into office documents to enable timely tracking of leaked documents, distinguishing between different leakage manners through unique URLs and parsing these URLs to determine the leakage method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If document encryption technology is used, then document security is improved, but tracking capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device performs preliminary action by inserting tracking URLs into documents before they are transmitted or stored. This allows the tracking information to be embedded in advance, so that when the document is later accessed or leaked, the tracking system can automatically record usage information such as opening time, location, and device, without requiring additional actions at the point of use.
2Stability of the object's composition
If watermark embedding is used, then document integrity is improved, but leakage prevention is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by automatically recording and reporting document usage information to a centralized server. When a document with embedded tracking URLs is accessed, the system captures usage data (time, location, device) and feeds it back to the security management system, enabling real-time monitoring and alerting, thus transforming static watermarking into an active tracking and reporting system.
3Ease of operation
If gateway filtering is used, then document transmission control is improved, but tracking capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves as an intermediary between document storage and access points. Instead of merely filtering or blocking documents, the gateway actively inserts tracking URLs into documents as they pass through, enabling automatic tracking of document usage without requiring manual intervention or complex filtering rules, thus maintaining ease of operation while gaining tracking capability.
4Measurement precision
If manual tracking methods are used, then tracking accuracy is improved, but automation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system operates on a self-service basis by automatically embedding tracking URLs into documents and autonomously recording usage information when documents are accessed. The system does not require manual configuration or intervention for each tracking instance, as the gateway device and server work together to automatically manage the entire tracking process, from URL insertion to data collection and reporting.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a document tracking method, a gateway device, and a server. The gateway device intercepts a first data flow sent by a first terminal device in an internal network to a second terminal device in an external network, inserts a first URL into a first document in the first data flow, so as to obtain a second data flow that includes a second document, and sends the second data flow to the second terminal device. In this way, when the second document is opened on the second terminal device, a first server corresponding to the first URL is accessed, so that the first server determines, based on the first URL, that the second document is leaked to the second terminal device through network propagation, thereby achieving a purpose of tracking a document leaked through network propagation.