Payment-Based Security for Computing Resources
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional systems are ineffective in preventing malicious computing actions, especially from authorized users who become disgruntled or attackers who have breached security layers, as they lack defense mechanisms against insider threats and unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that requires a payment for each action on a computing resource, using a transfer scheme where authorized agents pay the owner, and unauthorized agents pay the owner directly, with payments processed via cryptocurrencies, to deter malicious actions and provide reimbursement for victims.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional security systems (firewalls, anti-malware, authentication) are used to protect computing resources, then security barriers are established, but they do little or nothing to hinder attackers who have breached these layers or insider threats from authorized users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful factor of malicious actions into a beneficial economic deterrent by requiring payment for each action. Instead of trying to prevent all malicious actions through complex security measures, the system allows actions to proceed but charges a fee that malicious actors cannot or will not pay, thereby converting the security problem into an economic barrier that protects the system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a payment system is implemented to deter malicious actions, then malicious users are hindered by financial compensation requirements, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a payment intermediary layer between the agent and the computing resource. This intermediary handles the payment verification and action authorization, simplifying the overall system by centralizing the security check in a single payment verification step rather than requiring complex multi-layered security infrastructure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If payment verification is performed for each action, then malicious actions are prevented, but the speed of legitimate operations may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs payment verification as a preliminary action before allowing the computing action to proceed. By checking payment status in advance and caching the verification result, the system ensures that malicious actions are blocked while minimizing the impact on legitimate operations, as the payment check is performed once before the actual computing task.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for hindering malicious computing actions may include (i) identifying an attempt by an agent to perform an action on a computing resource that is vulnerable to attempted actions performed by unauthorized agents, (ii) requesting from the agent, in response to identifying the attempt to perform the action on the computing resource, a payment to an owner of the computing resource equal to a monetary value assigned to performing the action on the computing resource, (iii) receiving, by the owner of the computing resource, the payment of the monetary value from the agent, and (iv) allowing, in response to receiving the payment of the monetary value from the agent, the attempt by the agent to perform the action on the computing resource. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.