Network Device Protection Against Privacy Relay Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network protocols with privacy features complicate legitimate cybersecurity control by encrypting network traffic, making it difficult for service providers to detect fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) and implement security measures such as parental or enterprise controls.
Innovation Solution
A method that intercepts and analyzes network data to identify the use of privacy features like private relays, blocks encrypted connections, and switches to a network extension feature to enable cybersecurity actions, including reputation checks and parental/enterprise controls, using machine learning for website trustworthiness assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If privacy features are implemented in network protocols, then user privacy is improved, but legitimate cybersecurity control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that sits between the user device and the network, intercepting encrypted traffic and performing analysis at the network level. This intermediary approach allows privacy to be maintained at the application layer while enabling security controls at the network layer, resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and cybersecurity control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent shifts the security analysis from the application layer (where encrypted traffic hides information) to the network layer (where metadata and connection patterns are visible). By changing the dimension of analysis from content-based to pattern-based, the system maintains effectiveness despite encryption, allowing cybersecurity control without compromising privacy features.
2Ease of operation
If encrypted connections are blocked, then cybersecurity control is improved, but network functionality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of blocking all encrypted connections, the patent applies partial action by selectively intercepting and analyzing only those connections that require security policy enforcement. Legitimate encrypted traffic that doesn't require control passes through unchanged, maintaining network functionality while enabling cybersecurity control where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of encrypted traffic handling by introducing new analysis dimensions at the network layer, such as connection patterns, timing, and metadata, rather than relying on content inspection. This allows the system to identify and control problematic traffic without blocking legitimate encrypted connections, preserving network productivity.
3Measurement precision
If network data interception is performed, then cybersecurity detection capability is improved, but network performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary elements for security analysis from the encrypted traffic flow, such as metadata, connection patterns, and protocol handshakes, rather than attempting to decrypt or analyze the entire data stream. This extraction approach enables effective cybersecurity detection while minimizing the performance overhead associated with deep packet inspection.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for network device protection. The method includes: intercepting (102) present network data related to a present data connection of a user apparatus; analyzing (104) the present network data; and in response to determining that the user apparatus utilizes a privacy feature in the present data connection implemented by a first internet relay and a second internet relay (106-IN USE), blocking (128) the present data connection.