Hash-Based Content Element Restriction for Web Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to effectively restrict and manage content elements within information resources, leading to security vulnerabilities and user experience issues due to interference from malicious scripts and content control modules, which consume excessive computing resources and cause performance degradation.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize hashing functions to identify and restrict content elements by generating element identifiers, accessing local or remote databases to apply content restriction policies, and modifying presentation based on these policies, thereby reducing computational complexity and maintaining content integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If content restriction policies are applied to identify and restrict content elements, then content security and integrity are improved, but computational resources are consumed by hashing and database operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent integrityVSAvoidcomputational resources
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments content elements into identifiable units with unique bit streams, allowing selective application of restriction policies to specific elements rather than processing entire information resources. This segmentation enables efficient hashing of individual element identifiers rather than comprehensive content analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms content elements into hash-based identifiers, changing the parameter representation from raw content data to condensed hash values. This parameter transformation significantly reduces computational resources required for storage and comparison while maintaining the ability to uniquely identify and restrict specific content elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If malicious scripts and content control modules are blocked, then security vulnerabilities are reduced, but user experience deteriorates due to interference from legitimate content control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity vulnerabilitiesVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs feedback mechanisms where content control modules communicate with information resource providers about restricted content elements. This feedback loop enables differentiation between malicious and legitimate content control, allowing the system to block harmful scripts while permitting authorized content management operations that enhance user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary content restriction mechanism that mediates between malicious scripts and legitimate content control modules. By using hash-based identification and policy-based filtering, the intermediary can distinguish between harmful and beneficial content control operations, blocking security threats while preserving legitimate functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If content elements are identified and restricted using hash-based methods, then content control precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to database management and remote communication

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent identification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates simplified copies of content elements in the form of hash-based identifiers stored in restriction databases. These identifier copies enable precise content identification and restriction without requiring the system to maintain or process the full complexity of the original content elements, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3516541B1Deploying countermeasures to HASH-based dynamic restriction of content elements on information resources
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3516541B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3516541B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3516541B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods for restricting content inserted into information resources are provided herein. A data processing system can identify a first content element on an information resource. The first content element can have a first bit stream. The data processing system can determine an interference to a rendering of the first content element on the information resource. The data processing system can generate, responsive to determining the interference, a second content element for a subsequent information resource based on the first content element. The second content element can have a second bit stream different from the first bit stream. The data processing system can transmit, the subsequent information resource including the second content element to the client device. Receipt of the second content element can cause a content restriction script to apply a rendering-based restriction policy responsive to the second bit stream differing from the first bit stream.