Protective Script Mitigates Server Load from Client-Side Bot Scripts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Client-side scripts injected into web browsers can unduly load server systems, leading to slowed response times and potential security risks, as they may exhibit bot-like behavior or collect sensitive information without permission.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a protective script in the web browser that detects and mitigates the impact of injected scripts by removing, disabling, or modifying them, or inserting delays, and utilizing whitelists and blacklists to control script execution, with the option to notify users of potentially harmful activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If scripts are executed in the web browser to provide user-helpful functions, then user functionality is improved, but server loading increases and response times slow down
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by injecting protective scripts into web pages before they are fully rendered by the browser. These protective scripts are pre-positioned to detect and mitigate harmful script executions before they can significantly impact server loading, thus maintaining both user functionality and server performance.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective script acts as an intermediary between harmful client-side scripts and the server system. The protective script monitors script execution events, identifies potentially harmful patterns, and blocks or mitigates their impact before reaching the server, thus resolving the contradiction between allowing useful scripts and preventing server overload.
2Adaptability or versatility
If scripts are allowed to execute freely in the browser, then user automation capabilities are improved, but security risks increase due to bot-like behavior and unauthorized data collection
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by injecting protective scripts that preemptively counteract harmful script behaviors. These protective scripts monitor for bot-like patterns and unauthorized data collection attempts, and block them before they can execute harmful actions, thus allowing legitimate automation while preventing security risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts potentially harmful script executions into beneficial outcomes by using the same script execution mechanisms to detect and block harmful patterns. The protective scripts leverage the browser's script execution capability to identify and mitigate security threats, thus transforming the potential harm into a security benefit.
3Reliability
If protective scripts are injected into web pages to mitigate harmful scripts, then server protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the protection mechanism into modular protective scripts that can be independently injected into web pages. Each protective script handles specific detection and mitigation tasks, making the overall system more manageable and less complex while maintaining effective server protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective scripts are designed to be universal and multi-functional, capable of detecting various types of harmful scripts (bot-like behavior, data collection, server loading) through a single injection mechanism. This universality reduces the complexity that would otherwise arise from implementing separate protection mechanisms for each threat type.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of methods, systems and storage media associated with mitigating the effects of client-side (customer) bot-like activity caused by code injected into an e-commerce web page in the customer's browser after it is received from the e-commerce server system. Rather than entirely block a selected account or device (IP address) of a legitimate customer, a more politic process to mitigate the effects of bot-like scripts is implemented by embedding a “protective script” into a web page before it is downloaded to a client device. The protective script intercepts attempts to inject new code into the page, and it may prevent the injection entirely, or modify the injected code to mitigate its impact, for example, by slowing down its operation. This process leaves the customer free to continue normal activities on the site without any adverse impact or penalty.