Network Message Interceptor for Transport Layer Security Policy Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network service providers face challenges in ensuring that endpoints adhere to necessary security policies, such as certificate revocation and validation, and minimum security standards, during transport layer security communications, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and duplication of authorization functions across multiple endpoints.
Innovation Solution
A network message interceptor is introduced to intercept handshake messages, extract and validate security standards, and prevent communication if they do not conform to predefined security policies, ensuring that only valid security standards are used for communication between endpoints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If network service providers rely on individual endpoints to implement transport layer security mechanisms, then endpoints can independently select and apply security standards, but network service providers cannot be assured that necessary security policies are being adhered to and authorization functions are duplicated across the network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network message interceptor as an intermediary component that monitors and validates security handshake messages between endpoints. The interceptor extracts security standard identifications from handshake messages, determines their validity against predefined security policies, and can prevent communication if standards don't conform. This mediator approach allows endpoints to maintain independence in selecting security standards while ensuring centralized policy enforcement and eliminating the need for each endpoint to independently perform authorization functions.
2Reliability
If multiple endpoints undertake authorization functions, then each endpoint can independently validate security, but this results in duplication of functionality across the network
Solution Approach 1:
The network message interceptor serves as a centralized intermediary that performs security validation and authorization functions. Instead of each endpoint independently undertaking authorization, the interceptor intercepts handshake messages, validates security standards against policies, and makes authorization decisions centrally. This eliminates the duplication of authorization functionality across multiple endpoints while maintaining comprehensive security validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the authorization and security validation functions from individual endpoints and consolidates them in the network message interceptor. By taking out these functions from distributed endpoints and centralizing them in a dedicated interceptor component, the system eliminates functional duplication while maintaining security validation effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If endpoints independently implement security mechanisms, then communication can be initiated without centralized control, but network service providers lose the ability to enforce minimum security standards and certificate policies
Solution Approach 1:
The network message interceptor acts as an intermediary that operates transparently in the communication path between endpoints. It allows communication initiation to proceed normally while simultaneously enforcing security policies by validating handshake messages. The interceptor extracts security standard information, checks it against predefined policies, and can block communication if standards don't conform, thus maintaining both ease of operation and security policy enforcement capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a network message interceptor for enforcing a security policy for communication over a network between first and second network endpoints, the interceptor being in communication with the network and external to the first and second endpoints, the network including transport layer security, and the security policy identifying at least one valid security standards for communication over the network, the method comprising the steps of: intercepting a handshake message transmitted over the network between the first and second endpoints; extracting from the handshake message an identification of a security standard selected for the communication between the first and second endpoints; determining a validity status of the identified security standard based on the security policy; and preventing communication between the first and second endpoints based on a negatively determined validity status of the identified security standard.