Proxy Server SSL Certificate Policy Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for deploying domain-specific security policies in secure environments, such as healthcare and financial sectors, face challenges in scalability and require manual pre-programming or modification of registry settings on thousands of computers, which is inefficient and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
Deploying security gateways that create replacement SSL server certificates with application-specific extensions in an X.509v3 digital certificate profile, allowing a proxy server to intercept and manage outbound connections, verify server identities, and transmit digitally-signed policies to clients, thereby regulating application functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If registry settings are modified on each computer to enforce security policies, then policy enforcement capability is improved, but deployment complexity and administrative burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary between clients and external servers. The proxy server creates and manages replacement SSL certificates containing policy information, eliminating the need to modify registry settings on each client computer. Clients simply connect to the proxy server, which automatically enforces policies through the certificate-based mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates replacement copies of SSL server certificates that contain embedded policy information. Instead of modifying each client computer's registry, the proxy server generates alternative certificates that clients use for secure connections, thereby copying and distributing policy enforcement capability through the certificate infrastructure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If software clients are pre-programmed to access active directory for policy information, then centralized policy management is improved, but software flexibility and adaptability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes SSL certificates serve multiple functions: their traditional role in establishing secure connections and an additional role of carrying policy information through custom extensions. This eliminates the need for specialized pre-programmed clients that query active directory, as any SSL-capable client can automatically receive and enforce policies through the certificate.
3Reliability
If manual registry modification is performed on thousands of computers to deploy security policies, then policy coverage is improved, but time consumption and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by configuring security policies in advance within the replacement SSL certificates at the proxy server. When clients connect, they automatically receive pre-configured policy information embedded in the certificates, eliminating the need for manual, computer-by-computer deployment and achieving immediate organization-wide policy coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing trusted signaling of domain-specific security policies. One method includes intercepting a connection request to a remote server from a client device on a domain and returning a security certificate with policy information for regulating the communications with the target server.