Network Address Encoding DNS Security Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content delivery systems face challenges in efficiently routing and identifying malicious communications due to limited information conveyed by traditional network addresses, which can lead to difficulties in distinguishing legitimate from illegitimate traffic and managing network attacks.
Innovation Solution
Encoding DNS-level information, such as domain names, security certificates, and validity information, directly into network addresses, allowing routers and computing devices to decode and utilize this information for efficient routing, security, and attack mitigation without relying on external mappings or packet inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional network addresses are used, then routing simplicity is maintained, but information availability for security and routing decisions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges DNS-level information (domain names, security certificates, validity periods) with network addresses by embedding these data elements directly into the network address structure. This combination allows routers and computing devices to access previously unavailable information without requiring separate DNS queries or external mappings, thereby resolving the information loss while maintaining address usability.
Solution Approach 2:
The network address is transformed into a multi-functional data structure that simultaneously performs traditional routing functions and carries additional DNS-level information for security validation and routing decisions. This universal address structure eliminates the need for separate information carriers and enables a single data element to serve multiple purposes in network communication.
2Productivity
If DNS-level information is encoded into network addresses, then routing efficiency and security are improved, but network address complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary encoding of DNS-level information into network addresses during the DNS resolution process, so that routing devices receive pre-enriched addresses containing all necessary information for immediate routing and security validation decisions. This eliminates the need for additional lookup operations during packet forwarding, thereby improving routing efficiency despite the increased address structure.
3Reliability
If external mappings and packet inspection are required, then security validation is possible, but processing overhead and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging security certificate information and validity data directly into the network address, the patent enables routers and computing devices to perform security validation using information already present in the address itself, eliminating the need for time-consuming external DNS queries or deep packet inspection operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The network address becomes self-sufficient by containing all necessary DNS-level information for security validation and routing decisions within its own structure, allowing receiving devices to independently verify security and make routing decisions without requiring external mappings or additional network communications.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described to enable a DNS service to encode information into a network address to be advertised by the DNS service. Information encoded by a DNS service may include, for example, an identifier of a content set to which the network address corresponds (e.g., a domain name) and validity information, such as a digital signature, that verifies the validity of the network address. On receiving a request to communicate with the network address, a destination device associated with the network address may decode the encoded information within the network address to assist in processing the request. In some instances, the encoded information may be used to identify malicious network transmissions, such as transmissions forming part of a network attack, potentially without reliance on other data, such as separate mappings or contents of the data transmission.