Proxy Server Content Filtering for Secure Network Access

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for creating a safe internet environment are inadequate in filtering out inappropriate or malicious content, as they rely on firewall software and proxy servers, which may not effectively isolate users from non-desired content.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that configures a user terminal to request content from secure sources via a proxy server, which verifies compliance with predefined rules, allowing direct access to secure content while isolating the user from non-trusted content through a secure channel and internal secured content servers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If firewall software or proxy server is installed to filter dangerous Internet sites, then user safety is improved, but system complexity and installation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser safetyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary between the user terminal and external content servers. The proxy server acts as a mediator that receives requests from the user terminal, retrieves content from external servers, verifies compliance with predefined rules, and provides filtered content to the user. This intermediary approach protects users from malicious content while maintaining system simplicity, as the filtering logic is centralized in the proxy server rather than requiring complex local firewall software on each user device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If all content access goes through proxy server verification, then content security is improved, but access speed and convenience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent securityVSAvoidaccess speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by establishing secure channels between the user terminal and the proxy server in advance, and by pre-configuring content compliance rules on the proxy server. The proxy server is pre-prepared to verify content against predefined compliance rules, allowing for rapid verification without requiring complex real-time analysis. This preliminary setup enables fast content access while maintaining security, as the verification process is streamlined and pre-configured.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If proxy server filters all content requests, then inappropriate content is blocked, but legitimate content access may be restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinappropriate content blockingVSAvoidcontent access flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing user-specific or terminal-specific compliance rules on the proxy server. Different users or terminals can have different predefined content compliance rules tailored to their specific needs and requirements. This allows the system to block inappropriate content for each user while permitting legitimate content access based on their individual configurations, thereby maintaining both security and adaptability without requiring a one-size-fits-all filtering approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2942925B1A method and system for providing a private network
Publication Date: 2016.08.24 ADVANCED DIGITAL BROADCAST
  • EP2942925B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2942925B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2942925B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system for providing a private network to a user terminal (110), the system comprising: the user terminal (110) configured to request content from secure sources (120, 130) compliant with secure content certificates (111) and from a proxy server (150); wherein the proxy server (150) is configured to: communicate with the user terminal (110) via a secure channel; receive from the user terminal (110) a request to access content from an external content server (160); retrieve the requested content from the external content server (160); verify the compliance of the requested content with predefined content compliance rules (151); and provide the requested content to the user terminal (110) if the content is compliant with the predefined content compliance rules (151). The user terminal (110) further comprises content access rules defining the types of content which can be accessed directly without the use of the proxy server (150).