Digital Privacy Management Infrastructure for Online Account Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in maintaining consistent digital privacy and security settings across disparate online platforms, leading to potential data theft and exposure, due to varying security and privacy options and authentication requirements, which are often misunderstood by users and difficult to manage automatically.
Innovation Solution
A Digital Privacy Management (DPM) infrastructure with a client application and Endpoint Control Process that centrally manages privacy and security settings without direct access to user credentials, using cached login credentials stored by the browser, and an integrated backend system for secure and consistent configuration across multiple online accounts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users manually manage privacy settings across multiple online platforms, then they can maintain some level of control over their personal information, but the complexity and time required increases significantly due to varying security options and authentication requirements on each platform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between users and multiple online platforms. This intermediary manages authentication credentials and privacy settings centrally, eliminating the need for users to manually navigate each platform's unique security options and authentication requirements, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal management system that handles multiple functions across different platforms through a single interface. This multi-functional system can manage various types of accounts, authentication methods, and privacy settings uniformly, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining consistent privacy protection across diverse platforms
2Ease of operation
If users store cached login credentials in the browser for automated access, then centralized management becomes feasible, but security risks increase due to potential credential exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements disposable, short-lived authentication tokens instead of storing permanent credentials. These temporary credentials are generated on-demand for automated access and automatically invalidated after use, providing ease of operation while minimizing the window of opportunity for credential exposure and misuse
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary security measures by establishing secure credential storage and encryption protocols before any automated access occurs. Authentication credentials are protected through pre-configured security mechanisms, ensuring that even if cached, the credentials remain secure and cannot be easily exploited
3Extent of automation
If automated systems attempt to manage privacy settings across platforms, then consistency can be improved, but authentication barriers and same-origin policies prevent direct access to account information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary system that bridges the gap between automated management needs and platform security restrictions. This intermediary handles authentication complexities behind the scenes, allowing automated privacy setting management without requiring direct access to account information, thus resolving the contradiction between automation extent and authentication complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for management and configuration of personal digital privacy and security. A list of protected accounts is received, where each protected account is an online user account associated with a user. For each protected account of the list, a privacy configuration is generated, based at least in part on one or more user-specific privacy rules. A login session for the protected account is accessed, without transmitting or receiving the user's password for the protected account. Based on the accessed login session for the protected account, a plurality of current status indicators are determined for a plurality of privacy settings associated with the protected account. The current status indicators are analyzed to generate updated configuration settings for one or more of the privacy settings of the protected account, and the updated configuration settings are applied to the protected account.