Proxy Server Link Injection for Malicious Messaging Defense
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices are vulnerable to malicious attacks through unknown or unverified links in electronic communications, such as phishing attacks and exploit kits, as they cannot preview or determine the security of these links before clicking on them.
Innovation Solution
A proxy server is placed within a perimeter network (DMZ) to intercept and process incoming messages, identifying and replacing potentially malicious links with static data, which is rendered on the proxy server, preventing execution of malicious processes and navigation to unsecured resources, while using multiple proxy servers with different IP addresses to obscure identification and enhance security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If computing devices directly access external links in electronic communications, then users can access external resources and data, but computing devices become vulnerable to malicious attacks such as phishing attacks, exploit kits, and process exploitation attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary component between the computing device and external resources. The proxy server receives requests for external links, retrieves the content, and serves it to the computing device. This intermediary architecture allows security scanning and filtering of external content before it reaches the computing device, blocking malicious attacks while maintaining legitimate access to external resources.
2Productivity
If computing devices cannot preview or verify links before clicking, then users can quickly access external resources, but they risk selecting malicious links without awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the proxy server retrieve and scan external link content before the user clicks on it. The proxy server pre-loads the webpage content, performs security analysis, and prepares a safe version in advance. This preliminary processing ensures that when the user clicks the link, access is immediate while security verification has already been completed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the proxy server provides information about the external link content to the user interface. The system analyzes the retrieved content and feeds back security status, content summary, and verification results to the user, enabling informed decision-making about which links to access while maintaining quick access capability.
3Reliability
If proxy servers are used to intercept and process incoming messages, then security against malicious links is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional proxy server that performs multiple security operations within a single system component. The proxy server simultaneously handles link interception, content retrieval, security scanning, malicious content filtering, and safe content delivery. This consolidation of multiple security functions into one universal component achieves high security reliability while minimizing the increase in system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided systems and methods for a proxy and navigation code injection to prevent malicious messaging attacks. One or more proxy servers may reside in a perimeter network and be used to remove malicious links from messages transmitted to devices protected by the proxy server(s). The proxy server(s) may detect links to external (e.g., Internet-based) resources, such as websites and databases, and may extract data from the external resources. The proxy server(s) may generate static data that prevents processes on the external resources from being executed by devices protects by the proxy server(s). The proxy server(s) may further generate a link to the static data by adding a proxy server network address to the original link. Once the link is generated, it may be used to replace the original link to the external resource to prevent navigation to malicious data.