Hierarchical Software Security Analysis for Dependency Risk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintaining data security, software quality standards, and enterprise resiliency in complex software architectures is challenging due to the complexity of software interdependencies, which are often handled manually or piecemeal, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method involving technology agents and synthesis agents to programmatically analyze software and dependencies, using static and dynamic analysis to identify nodes, dependencies, and security risks, with risk aggregation and governance engines to enforce security policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or piecemeal methods are used to maintain data security and software quality standards, then flexibility and adaptability are preserved, but efficiency and accuracy deteriorate due to complexity and error-proneness
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex software architecture into discrete nodes and dependencies that can be individually analyzed. The graph-based representation divides the software landscape into manageable units (nodes) and relationships (edges), allowing systematic processing of security risks without being overwhelmed by overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate aggregation layers that summarize security risks at multiple levels of the software hierarchy. These aggregation nodes serve as mediators between individual security risks and overall enterprise risk assessment, reducing the complexity burden on the analysis system
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive automated analysis is implemented to improve security assessment accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but computational complexity and resource requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds hierarchical dimensionality to the security analysis by organizing nodes and risks across multiple levels of software abstraction. This dimensional organization allows comprehensive analysis through structured aggregation rather than brute-force examination of all individual components simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements risk aggregation that focuses computational effort on the most significant security risks by summarizing and weighting risks at different hierarchy levels. This partial action approach concentrates analysis resources on high-impact areas rather than uniformly processing all security risks with equal depth
3Speed
If static analysis alone is used to identify security risks, then analysis speed is maintained, but detection capability worsens due to inability to capture runtime dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs static analysis as a preliminary action to establish the baseline software map, node hierarchies, and known dependencies before runtime execution. This preliminary structuring enables faster subsequent analysis while the system remains open to discovering additional runtime dependencies that were not apparent in the static code
Data Source
AI summary
A security analysis of software includes analyzing security risks at each level of the hierarchy of the software and aggregating identified risks within the hierarchy levels. Weights applied during aggregation assist in homogenizing risk scores originating from different types of identified security risks and provide for the ability to communicate a meaningful risk score at each level of the hierarchy.