Privacy-Aware DHCP Service for IPv6 Address Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The adoption of IPv6, with its large address space, poses a privacy risk as statically assigned IP addresses can be used to gather personally identifiable information, leading to potential misuse by network operators and e-commerce entities.
Innovation Solution
A privacy-aware Enhanced Privacy Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (EP DHCP) service and a Client Privacy Agent (CPA) work together to provide unique, unassigned IP addresses and monitor communication activity, closing connections when a privacy threshold is reached to prevent data correlation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If IPv6 statically assigned IP addresses are used, then address space capacity is improved, but user privacy is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic IP address assignment where the DHCP service assigns different IP addresses from the available pool to users at different times. This dynamic allocation prevents static association between IP addresses and users, thereby protecting privacy while utilizing the large IPv6 address space. The system continuously updates which IP addresses are assigned to which users, making it difficult to track users through consistent IP addresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a privacy-aware DHCP service as an intermediary between the IP address authority and users. This intermediary manages the IP address pool and assignment process, ensuring that users receive IP addresses without direct static assignment. The DHCP service acts as a mediator that decouples the relationship between users and IP addresses, preventing direct correlation while maintaining address space utilization.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If IP address mixing is implemented, then online privacy is improved, but network tracking capability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the IP address pool into multiple available addresses that can be dynamically assigned to different users. By dividing the address space into assignable units and rotating assignments, the system achieves IP address mixing that protects user privacy. Each user receives different IP addresses at different times, preventing continuous tracking while maintaining network functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic reassignment of IP addresses to users. The DHCP service periodically updates which IP addresses are assigned to which users, creating a time-varying assignment pattern. This periodic action ensures that users do not have consistent IP addresses over time, thereby protecting privacy while allowing the network to function normally during each assignment period.
Data Source
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AI summary
Generally, this disclosure describes a system including a privacy aware DHCP service and a user device. The user device includes a trusted execution environment including a client privacy agent configured to request a first Internet Protocol (IP) address from a DHCP service and to determine a device privacy score based, at least in part, on a DHCP policy; memory comprising secure storage configured to store the first IP address; and communication circuitry configured to establish at least one connection between the user device and at least one entity over a network using the first IP address. The client privacy agent is configured to monitor communication activity over the connection(s), to update the device privacy score based, at least in part, on the communication activity, and to close the connection(s) if the device privacy score is outside an acceptable privacy score range, the acceptable privacy range bounded by a privacy threshold.