Image-Based Web Access With Lightweight Browser Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure browsing systems are ineffective against malware infections, resource-intensive, and compromise user experience and security, particularly when virtualization techniques are used, leading to potential breaches and reliance on user IT knowledge.
Innovation Solution
An intermediary server with a web browser engine provides secure access by rendering web pages as images, isolating interactions and user inputs, and using JavaScript to manage user sessions, without relying on virtual machines or containers, thus reducing computational burden and enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual machines or containers are used for secure browsing isolation, then security protection is improved, but resource consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential browser rendering functionality from complete virtual machines or containers, using a lightweight browser engine that can render web pages without requiring full OS or VM infrastructure. This selective extraction maintains security isolation while dramatically reducing resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable, lightweight browser engine instances that are created and destroyed as needed, rather than maintaining persistent virtual machines or containers. These temporary instances provide sufficient security isolation for each browsing session without the resource burden of long-running VMs.
2Reliability
If virtualization techniques are used to provide secure access, then malware protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex virtualization layer (hypervisors, virtual hardware, full OS kernels) while retaining the essential security isolation provided by sandboxed browser engine instances. This extraction of core functionality maintains malware protection with significantly reduced system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a simplified intermediary layer consisting of the lightweight browser engine that acts as a mediator between the user and web content. This intermediary provides security isolation without requiring the complex virtualization infrastructure traditionally needed for such protection.
3Reliability
If traditional secure browsing systems are used, then security isolation is improved, but user experience and transparency are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a functional copy of the web page rendering experience using the lightweight browser engine, producing visually and interactively equivalent pages without the overhead of virtualization. This copying approach maintains security isolation while preserving the natural, transparent user experience of direct web browsing.
Data Source
AI summary
An intermediary server provides secure access to a web page of a web-based service to a client terminal upon request of a web server. The intermediary server includes an operating system that runs an instance of a web browser engine, which is configured to produce an image of the web page rendered in the instance of the web browser engine. The web browser engine transmits an access web page to a web browser of the client terminal. The access web page is configured to retrieve the image from the web browser engine and display the image in the web browser. User interactions are registered and sent to the instance in the intermediary server. The user interactions are reproduced within the instance and the instance produces images of the web page after each of the user interactions.