HTTP Header Digital Signature for CDN Content Authenticity

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Solution Overview

Problem

The cost of supporting a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection for content delivery networks (CDNs) can be prohibitive, making it challenging to ensure secure and authentic data transfer over HTTP, particularly for content that is prone to forgery or tampering.

Innovation Solution

Extending the HTTP header of HTTP response messages with a content identifier, content expiration time, and digital signature, generated from these elements, allows recipients to verify the authenticity and integrity of the data, enabling detection of forgery and tampering without the need for expensive secure connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If SSL connection is used to ensure secure data transfer, then data authenticity and integrity are improved, but connection cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata authenticityVSAvoidconnection cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the security verification function from the SSL connection protocol and implements it as a separate digital signature mechanism. Instead of requiring full SSL encryption for every connection, the system uses digital signatures embedded in HTTP headers to verify content authenticity, thereby separating the authentication function from the expensive secure connection infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses lightweight digital signature tokens that are generated once per content item and embedded in HTTP headers. These signatures are inexpensive to generate and verify compared to maintaining SSL connections, allowing secure verification without the ongoing cost of secure connection infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If digital signature verification is implemented, then detection of forgery and tampering is improved, but HTTP protocol complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforgery detectionVSAvoidHTTP protocol complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-generating digital signatures for content items before they are distributed through the CDN. The signatures are embedded in HTTP headers alongside the content metadata, so that verification can occur directly at the edge servers without requiring complex real-time cryptographic operations or protocol modifications during content delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If content is distributed without secure connections, then connection cost is reduced, but data integrity cannot be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection costVSAvoiddata integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces digital signatures as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the gap between inexpensive HTTP distribution and secure content verification. The signatures act as a trusted mediator that allows recipients to verify content integrity without requiring expensive secure connections, enabling cost-effective distribution while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8677134B2HTTP signing

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A system and method for signing data transferred over a computer network is described. In one aspect, the HTTP header of an HTTP response message is extended to include a content identifier, a content expiration time, and a digital signature. The digital signature may be generated from the content identifier, the content expiration time, and the message body of the HTTP response message.