Protocol-Based Multipart File Regulator for Inline Cybersecurity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network cybersecurity components face challenges in efficiently managing multipart file transmissions due to varying protocols, leading to increased computational resource demands and delays in cybersecurity analysis, which impact user experience and complicate traffic handling.

Innovation Solution

A protocol-based multipart file transmission regulator separates tracking states of multipart file transmissions per session, determines message handling actions based on identified protocols, and maintains a data store for cybersecurity analysis, ensuring compliance with cybersecurity policies while minimizing resource usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a network component performs cybersecurity analysis on multipart file transmissions at the application layer, then comprehensive security analysis can be achieved, but computational resource requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecybersecurity analysis completenessVSAvoidcomputational resource requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cybersecurity analysis process by separating protocol-specific state tracking from general traffic handling. Different protocol states are tracked in separate data structures, allowing the system to process only relevant protocol-specific information for each transmission rather than analyzing all traffic uniformly, thus reducing overall computational overhead while maintaining comprehensive security analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary protocol-based multipart file transmission regulator that sits between the network component and the cybersecurity analysis process. This regulator translates various application-layer protocols into a standardized internal representation, allowing the network component to handle traffic efficiently while the regulator performs the computationally intensive protocol-specific analysis separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a network component performs comprehensive cybersecurity analysis on multipart file transmissions, then security policy compliance can be ensured, but delays are introduced that impact user experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecybersecurity policy complianceVSAvoidanalysis delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-compiling protocol-specific state transition rules and validation logic during system initialization. When multipart file transmissions occur, the system can immediately apply these pre-prepared rules without performing complex real-time analysis, significantly reducing analysis delays while ensuring security policy compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of sequential, comprehensive packet-by-packet analysis with a more efficient state-machine-based approach. By modeling protocol behavior as state transitions with predefined validation rules, the system can rapidly determine compliance without performing exhaustive real-time analysis of every transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a network component handles varying protocols for multipart file transmission, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol handling capabilityVSAvoidtraffic handling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by designing a protocol-based multipart file transmission regulator that can handle multiple application-layer protocols through a unified framework. The system maintains protocol-specific state machines for different protocols but manages them through a common interface and standardized data structures, allowing versatile protocol handling without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12407651B2Inline inspection cybersecurity enforcement of multipart file transmissions

Publication Date: 2025.09.02 PALO ALTO NETWORKS INC

AI summary

Separating awareness of multipart file transmissions of different applications from traffic handling at a granularity of an individual application layer session facilitates efficient cybersecurity enforcement on multipart file transmissions. A protocol-based multipart file transmission regulator (“regulator”) determines a per session message handling action to prevent completion of a multipart file transmission based on a protocol of an application identified for the session until cybersecurity analysis can be performed. The regulator then communicates the message handling action to a network component supporting the session. The regulator maintains information and file chunks in a data store for active sessions and determines with the data store whether a condition for requesting cybersecurity analysis for a multipart file transmission is satisfied. Upon obtaining a cybersecurity analysis verdict, the regulator provides the verdict or a verdict based instruction to the network component that ensures the multipart file transmission is compliant with a cybersecurity policy(ies).