Optical Air Gap System for Secure Enterprise Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprise computing systems face challenges in ensuring information security and preventing unauthorized access while interfacing with external systems, particularly in optimizing resource and bandwidth utilization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an optical air gap system using a computing platform that receives messages from external servers, generates image representations, executes OCR processes to recreate messages, validates contents, and sends validated messages to enterprise servers, while halting and alerting on invalid messages, and flagging suspicious senders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If enterprise computer systems interface with external systems to support legitimate functions, then data transfer capability is improved, but information security and protection against unauthorized access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an optical air gap system that acts as an intermediary between enterprise computer systems and external systems. Messages are converted to optical signals (images) transmitted through the air gap, then converted back to text. This intermediary mechanism enables data transfer while maintaining physical isolation, thus improving adaptability without compromising security.
2Ease of operation
If traditional network connections are used to interface with external systems, then ease of operation is improved, but vulnerability to security threats increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional electrical/network connections with an optical transmission system. Messages are converted to images and transmitted optically across the air gap, then processed back into text format. This substitution eliminates electrical connection vulnerabilities while maintaining ease of operation, allowing secure communication without physical network cables.
3Reliability
If optical air gap system is implemented to enhance security, then protection against unauthorized access is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an optical copy (image) of the message and transmits it across the air gap. The receiving system then processes this optical copy to recreate the original message text. This copying approach simplifies the overall system by avoiding complex encryption/decryption mechanisms while maintaining security through physical isolation.
4Reliability
If messages are validated and processed through OCR, then information security is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs validation and OCR processing on incoming messages before they are delivered to the enterprise system. By conducting these security checks preliminarily, the system ensures that only validated, secure messages are processed further, reducing the time burden on the main enterprise system while maintaining security.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively enhances information security by isolating enterprise networks from public networks, preventing unauthorized access, and optimizing operations by ensuring secure and efficient data transfer.
Implementation Method 1
the computing platform may execute an optical character recognition (OCR) process on the first image representation of the first message
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to protecting enterprise computing resources by implementing an optical air gap system. A computing platform may receive, from an external communications server, a message. The computing platform then may generate an image representation of the message received from the external communications server. Subsequently, the computing platform may execute an optical character recognition (OCR) process on the image representation of the message, which may produce a recreated message. Then, the computing platform may validate contents of the recreated message. Based on validating the contents of the recreated message, the computing platform may send, to an enterprise communications server, the recreated message, and sending the recreated message to the enterprise communications server may cause the enterprise communications server to deliver the recreated message to at least one enterprise user computing device.