Network Node Emulating Message Server for Secure Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in securely transmitting electronic messages across different service providers and transmission paths without needing to configure encryption programs, as existing solutions require technical familiarity and setup.
Innovation Solution
A network node emulates both the message server and client, checking if messages are encrypted and protecting unencrypted content within a security domain, ensuring secure transmission by using the recipient's public key for encryption, even if intermediate stations are involved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption programs are implemented and configured in the user's system environment, then message transmission security is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to setup and configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The network node acts as an intermediary between the message client and message server, automatically performing encryption operations. The node intercepts messages from the client, checks their encryption status, and encrypts unencrypted messages using the recipient's public key before forwarding them through the message server, thereby eliminating the need for user-side encryption configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service encryption at the network node level. The node automatically checks whether incoming messages are encrypted and encrypts them if necessary, without requiring user intervention or configuration. This automated process maintains security while simplifying user operation.
2Ease of operation
If encryption is performed at the network node level, then ease of operation is improved by eliminating user configuration, but device complexity increases due to additional encryption checks and public key management
Solution Approach 1:
The network node is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a standard message relay and an encryption service provider. It emulates both the message server to the client and the message client to the server, while additionally performing encryption operations. This consolidates multiple functions into a single node, managing complexity through functional integration.
3Reliability
If the network node checks and encrypts messages automatically, then message transmission security is improved, but productivity decreases due to additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The network node performs partial encryption actions by checking only whether messages are already encrypted and encrypting only those that are not. This selective approach avoids redundant encryption operations on already-encrypted messages, reducing unnecessary processing overhead while maintaining security.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a telecommunication method for protected transmission of an electronic message (340, 404) from a message client (102, 104, 106, 201, 402). The message (340, 404) is transmitted from the message client (102, 104, 106, 201, 402) to the message server (130, 250, 410) via a network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406). The network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406) emulates the message server (130, 250, 410) to the message client (102, 104, 106, 201, 402) and the network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406) emulates the message client (102, 104, 106, 201, 402) to the message server (130, 250, 410). The method comprises: a) receiving the message (340, 404) from the message client (102, 104, 106, 201, 402) by means of the network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406), b) checking, by means of the network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406), whether the content to be transmitted from the message (340, 404) is encrypted, and, c) if this is the case, sending the message (340, 404) from the network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406) via the message server (130, 250, 410) to the message recipient indicated in the message (340, 404), and, d) if this is not the case, protecting the message (340, 404) by means of the network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406) and sending the protected message (342, 408) to the message recipient. The network node (120, 122, 132, 220, 406) is in a security domain (110, 401) of the message client (102, 104, 106, 201, 402).