Multi-Level Data Processing for Email Attachment Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anti-virus solutions face inefficiencies in inspecting compressed email attachments for malware, as they either block files based on extensions without content inspection or require decompression, consuming significant resources and being impractical for multiple attachments.
Innovation Solution
A multi-level data processing system allocates resources to iteratively reverse format conversions on payload data from email attachments, allowing for parallel processing and inspection of decompressed data units before aggregation, using a protocol parser and multi-level data handlers to decode, decompress, and unarchive files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the entire compressed attachment file is decompressed and scanned for malware, then content inspection accuracy is improved, but processing resources and memory consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the attachment file processing into multiple levels: first examining the compressed file structure and headers, then selectively decompressing only suspicious segments rather than the entire file. This segmentation allows content inspection without requiring full file decompression, thus reducing memory and processing resource consumption while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by performing content inspection on only the necessary portions of the attachment file. Instead of decompressing and scanning the entire file, the system inspects file headers, structure information, and selectively decompresses only those segments that exhibit suspicious characteristics, thereby reducing overall processing resources while maintaining effective malware detection.
2Productivity
If multiple compressed attachments are processed concurrently, then throughput is improved, but resource requirements become impractical and prohibitively expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing of multiple attachments into independent, manageable units. Each attachment is processed through a standardized multi-level inspection pipeline that operates on discrete data units rather than requiring full file decompression. This segmentation enables concurrent processing of multiple attachments with controlled resource consumption per unit, making high throughput practically achievable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by processing only the necessary portions of each attachment file at any given time. The system maintains a pool of processing resources that work on different segments of different files concurrently, rather than allocating full processing capacity to each file. This approach enables multiple attachments to be processed simultaneously without requiring prohibitive resource requirements.
3Productivity
If the attachment file is blocked based on compression extension without content inspection, then processing efficiency is improved, but legitimate files are erroneously filtered out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by examining file headers, structure information, and metadata before making blocking decisions. The multi-level inspection system analyzes the compressed file's organizational structure, file signatures, and header information to assess suspicious characteristics. This preliminary inspection provides a more reliable basis for filtering decisions compared to simple extension-based blocking, reducing false positives while maintaining processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the inspection parameters from simple file extension matching to a multi-level analysis that examines structural characteristics, headers, and organizational patterns of compressed files. By changing the detection parameters to include structural analysis rather than just extension-based filtering, the system achieves both improved reliability in distinguishing legitimate from malicious files and maintained processing efficiency through automated structural assessment.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for processing multiple levels of data in system security approaches are disclosed. In one embodiment, a first set and a second set of resources are selected to iteratively and independently reverse multiple levels of format conversions on the payload portions of a data unit from a first file and a data unit from a second file, respectively. The first file and the second file are associated with a first transport connection and a second transport connection, respectively. Upon completion of the aforementioned reversal operations, the payload portions of a first reversed data unit and a second reversed data unit, which correspond to the data unit of the first file and the data unit of the second file, respectively, are inspected for suspicious patterns prior to any aggregation of the data units of the first file or the second file.