Peer-Routed Anonymous Communication for IP Address Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional anonymous proxies require substantial bandwidth and computing power, are inefficient, and can compromise user security by allowing entities to access user IP addresses, making them vulnerable to malicious attacks.
Innovation Solution
A management device establishes anonymous communication sessions by intercepting and modifying messages between user and target devices, using client devices to route requests and responses through a peer device, thereby masking the user's IP address without direct connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional anonymous proxies are used to mask user IP addresses, then user anonymity is improved, but system resource consumption (bandwidth and computing power) increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a peer device as an intermediary between the user device and target device. The peer device receives requests from the user device and forwards them to the target device, while responses are routed back through the peer to the user device. This intermediary approach masks the user's IP address from the target device while distributing the computational burden across multiple devices rather than requiring a resource-intensive centralized proxy server.
2Reliability
If conventional anonymous proxies are used to protect user identity, then security against targeted marketing and identity theft is improved, but system efficiency and speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The user device itself performs the anonymization function by routing requests through a peer device that it selects and manages. The user device maintains control over the communication flow and peer selection, eliminating the need for external proxy servers to manage and process requests. This self-service approach reduces the computational overhead on centralized systems while maintaining security and anonymity.
3Reliability
If conventional anonymous proxies are deployed to prevent IP address disclosure, then user privacy is improved, but vulnerability to malicious attacks increases due to potential proxy compromise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the anonymization function across multiple independent devices (user device and peer device) rather than relying on a single centralized proxy server. This segmentation means that even if one peer device is compromised, the user's anonymity is not completely compromised as the user can switch to a different peer. The distributed architecture reduces the attack surface compared to centralized proxies where a single point of failure could expose all users.
4Reliability
If centralized anonymous proxy servers are used to mask user identities, then anonymity is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The peer device performs multiple functions: it acts as a relay for anonymizing requests, provides routing information to the user device, and can serve multiple different user devices. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for specialized proxy server infrastructure, as ordinary devices can fulfill multiple roles in the anonymization network, significantly reducing system complexity and infrastructure requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A management device can establish an anonymous communication session between a first device and a second device. The anonymous communication session can include a first outgoing communication session with the second device and a second incoming communication session with a third device. The first device can be a client in the first outgoing communication session. The second device can be a server in the second incoming communication session. The third device can route communications received from the second device to the first device. The management device can intercept first communications from the first device, modify the intercepted first communications to accord with the second incoming communication session, and provide the modified first communications to the second device. The management device can obtain second communications routed from the third device, modify the obtained second communications to accord with the first outgoing communication session, and provide the modified second communications to the first device.