Keystroke Encryption Device for Anti-Spyware Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer security measures are inadequate in preventing keystroke logging attacks, as they rely on software updates to identify and remove malicious software, which are often evaded by dynamically changing hacking methods, leaving Internet-connected computers vulnerable to intrusion and data theft.
Innovation Solution
A keystroke encryption device (KED) is placed between the keyboard and the host computing platform, which automatically examines and asymmetrically encrypts keystrokes using public and private keys, ensuring that only decrypted keystrokes are transmitted to the server, thereby protecting sensitive information from capture by spyware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional virus protection software is used to identify and remove malicious software, then security updates can be applied, but hackers can dynamically change their methods to evade detection, leaving computers vulnerable
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to detect and block malicious keystrokes (traditional approach), the patent inverts the problem by encrypting all keystrokes before they leave the keyboard. This makes the content unreadable to any interceptor, whether malicious or not, and only the legitimate application can decrypt and read the actual keystroke content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an encryption device as an intermediary component between the keyboard and the computer system. This intermediary encrypts keystrokes in real-time, preventing spyware or keyloggers from capturing plaintext input, while still allowing legitimate applications to receive decrypted input through proper authentication.
2Reliability
If keystroke encryption is implemented to prevent spyware capture, then sensitive information is protected, but the system complexity increases with additional encryption devices and protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption device operates autonomously, managing its own encryption keys and authentication processes without requiring complex configuration or intervention from the host system. The device self-manages the encryption/decryption operations and key distribution, reducing the burden on the overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If all keystrokes are encrypted to protect sensitive data, then spyware cannot capture plaintext, but legitimate applications cannot access the encrypted input without decryption keys
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different security treatments to different contexts: sensitive applications (banking, shopping) receive encrypted keystroke input with automatic key distribution, while non-sensitive applications receive normal unencrypted input. This localized quality approach ensures security where needed without disrupting normal operation elsewhere.
Data Source
AI summary
A keystroke encryption device (KED) exists between the keyboard and the host computing platform including a host PC. The KED examines keystrokes before they are transmitted to the host PC and asymmetrically encrypts the keystrokes when the KED is turned on. The KED allows the keystrokes to pass through as originally indicated by the user when the KED is turned off. The KED accepts a public key from a server, which decrypts the keystrokes using its own public and private key. The keys and an asymmetric encryption algorithm together provide the means by which each keystroke is encrypted before it enters the host PC.