Policy Enforcement Server for Mixed Media Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current security solutions for enterprise networks, such as VPNs and DLP systems, fail to provide comprehensive control over sensitive communications traffic and content, especially in complex, multi-media, and multi-modal environments, and do not effectively integrate with emerging technologies like SOA and collaboration platforms like Google Wave, leading to disjointed security systems.
Innovation Solution
A policy enforcement server and distributed policy agents monitor and enforce policies across enterprise networks, using policy tags to assess and manage communications security, ensuring compliance by implementing appropriate measures such as encryption, access control, and secure routing, even outside the VPN trust circle, while integrating with diverse security schemes and media types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full encryption is applied across the enterprise (as in Sophos SafeGuard), then data security is improved, but processing burden and system overhead increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the encryption function from a centralized enterprise-wide system and places it only at the communication endpoints where it is actually needed. This selective deployment eliminates the processing burden of encrypting all enterprise data while maintaining security for sensitive communications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies encryption locally at communication endpoints rather than uniformly across the entire enterprise. This local quality approach ensures that only the specific data requiring security (communications between authorized parties) is encrypted, reducing overall processing overhead while maintaining necessary security.
2Reliability
If VPNs are used for secure communications, then access control is improved, but the system does not extend easily to external parties without additional security risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a communication security system that universally applies to both internal and external communications. The same endpoint encryption and policy enforcement mechanisms work for VPN-protected internal communications and for external communications, eliminating the need for separate security systems and reducing overall complexity.
3Reliability
If document control systems are implemented, then documentation compliance is improved, but tracking of documents once copied from the system is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through policy agents that continuously monitor and report on document usage and communication activities. These agents provide real-time feedback about document copies, transmissions, and access, enabling continuous tracking and enforcement of compliance policies throughout the enterprise.
4Reliability
If multiple separate security systems are deployed for different communications media, then specific security requirements are met, but the systems become disjointed and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate security functions into a unified communication security system. Policy agents, encryption mechanisms, and enforcement rules are integrated across email, instant messaging, voice, video, and collaboration platforms, providing comprehensive security coverage while simplifying management through a single coordinated framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided to monitor and prevent potential enterprise policy and/or rule violations by subscribers.