Proxy Server Content Segmentation for Anti-Tampering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Executable code and content downloaded from the web can be reverse-engineered and tampered with by third parties, leading to unauthorized modifications and cheating in web-based applications, resulting in lost profits for publishers.
Innovation Solution
A proxy server is used to deliver web content with added security code that detects and prevents unauthorized modifications by unique hashing and personalized file assembly, ensuring each user receives a distinct version of the content, making hacked versions unusable across users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If web content is made publicly available and downloadable, then accessibility and dissemination are improved, but vulnerability to reverse-engineering and tampering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The content delivery system segments the web application into multiple files (main file, secondary files, security code) that are delivered separately and assembled by the user's browser. This segmentation ensures that even if one file is compromised, the entire application remains protected because the security code in the main file verifies integrity of all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The security code is embedded in advance within the main file before delivery to the user. This preliminary action enables the main file to automatically detect and prevent unauthorized modifications of secondary files during runtime, without requiring additional external verification mechanisms.
2Reliability
If security code is added to detect unauthorized modifications, then content protection is improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The security system is self-service because the main file contains embedded security code that autonomously verifies the integrity of secondary files without requiring external intervention. The security verification is performed automatically by the user's browser using the embedded code, eliminating the need for complex server-side verification mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The main file serves multiple functions: it acts as both the primary application component and the security verification mechanism. By embedding the security code within the main file itself, the system achieves content protection without adding separate dedicated security infrastructure, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If unique personalized content is delivered to each user, then protection against shared hacked versions is improved, but content delivery complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by incorporating user-specific identifiers directly into the security code embedded in the main file for each user. This ensures that the security verification is tailored to each individual user, making hacked versions incompatible across different users while maintaining efficient delivery through the proxy server's caching capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of delivering web distributed content is disclosed. A set of web distributed content is received by a proxy server. The set of web distributed content is divided by the proxy server into a plurality of portions. Additional security code is added to the plurality of portions to form a modified set of web distributed content. The additional security code detects unauthorized modification of the modified set of web distributed content, wherein at least a portion of the modified set of web distributed content is different for different intended users of the set of web distributed content. The modified set of web distributed content is delivered by the proxy server to an intended user.