Gateway Encryption for Network Traffic Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data communication systems are vulnerable to malicious traffic, including viruses and unauthorized data transmissions, which can infect network nodes and compromise confidentiality.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a gateway that encrypts data using keys not available to the source, with automatic key selection and transmission, ensuring that only authorized recipients can decrypt and use the data, thereby neutralizing malicious content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is transmitted in encrypted form to prevent malicious traffic, then network security is improved, but decryption key management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a key management server as an intermediary between the gateway and receiving computers. This server automatically generates, distributes, and manages decryption keys, eliminating the need for complex manual key management while maintaining security. The intermediary handles key lifecycle operations including generation, secure transmission, and revocation, thereby resolving the contradiction between security and management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automated key management where the key management server autonomously performs key generation, distribution, and rotation without human intervention. The gateway and receiving computers automatically retrieve and use keys as needed, with the system self-regulating key lifecycles. This automation reduces management complexity while maintaining strong security through consistent, error-free key handling.
2Reliability
If encryption keys are made unavailable to sources to prevent malicious transmissions, then security against unauthorized transmissions is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The key management server automatically handles key distribution to authorized receiving computers based on digital signature verification. The system autonomously determines which keys to distribute to which recipients without requiring manual configuration or user intervention. This self-service approach maintains high security through cryptographic verification while preserving ease of operation through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the gateway verifies digital signatures from sending computers, and the key management server responds by distributing appropriate decryption keys to authorized receiving computers. This closed-loop feedback system ensures that key distribution is tightly controlled based on actual transmission authorization, maintaining security while automating the process to preserve operational simplicity.
3Productivity
If automatic key selection and transmission is implemented at the gateway, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex key management functionality from the gateway and places it in a separate key management server. The gateway's role is simplified to requesting keys and transmitting data, while the specialized server handles key generation, storage, and distribution. This separation of concerns reduces gateway complexity while maintaining high transmission productivity through automated key provisioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The key management server acts as an intermediary that handles all complex key management operations between the gateway and receiving computers. The gateway interacts with this intermediary through simple, standardized requests, avoiding the need to implement complex key management logic locally. This intermediary approach enables automatic key selection and transmission (improving productivity) while concentrating complexity in a dedicated component rather than the gateway.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for protecting a computer network (22) includes receiving at a gateway (24) data transmitted from a source address for delivery to a destination on the computer network. The data are encrypted at the gateway using an encryption key selected from a set of one or more keys that are not available to the source address. The encrypted data are transmitted over the computer network toward the destination. The transmitted encrypted data are received and decrypted for use at the destination by means of one of the keys in the set.