Proxy Server Network Security Learning System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing computer network security systems, such as firewalls, lack the ability to evolve and learn from attacks, leading to inefficiencies in resource usage and inadequate protection against evolving threats.

Innovation Solution

A proxy server is installed between client and server systems, which checks queries against a database of known problematic queries, saves non-problematic queries in a backup database, and uses a learner module to analyze and generate rules for potentially harmful queries to prevent future issues, while switching to backup databases for failed systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If firewalls and security software are installed on the server side to prevent harmful content, then security protection is provided, but precious server resources are consumed and the system lacks the ability to evolve and learn from attacks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity protectionVSAvoidserver resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary component between clients and the protected server. The proxy server handles security filtering, query analysis, and learning functions separately from the protected server, allowing the server to maintain its primary functions while the proxy handles security resource consumption. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by providing security protection without burdening the protected server's resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments security functions into separate modules: the proxy server handles query filtering and blocking, while the learner module handles analysis and rule generation. This segmentation allows security functions to be distributed across different components, reducing the resource burden on any single system and enabling independent optimization of each component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If traditional firewalls are used to block harmful content, then basic security is maintained, but the system cannot evolve or learn from new attacks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity protectionVSAvoidability to evolve and learn
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The learner module implements self-service by automatically analyzing blocked queries, identifying attack patterns, and generating new filtering rules without human intervention. The system continuously learns from encountered threats and autonomously updates its security policies, enabling evolution and adaptation to new attack types while maintaining reliable security protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where blocked queries are analyzed by the learner module, which then generates updated rules fed back to the proxy server for improved filtering. This continuous feedback mechanism enables the system to learn from attacks and adapt its security measures, resolving the contradiction between maintaining security and achieving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If all queries are allowed to pass through to the receiving system, then system functionality is maintained, but problematic queries can cause harm

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequery processing throughputVSAvoidharmful queries causing problems
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The proxy server performs preliminary analysis and filtering of queries before they reach the protected system. By checking queries against the database of known problematic queries and applying learned rules in advance, the system blocks harmful content before it can cause damage, while allowing legitimate queries to pass through unchanged, thus maintaining productivity while preventing harm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7774297B2System and method for network security
Publication Date: 2010.08.10 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC
  • US7774297B2 patent drawing
  • US7774297B2 patent drawing
  • US7774297B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system and method analyzes queries in a computer network, and identifies problem-causing queries that could be harmful to the system. If a query does not match any queries in a database, the query is transmitted to its destination. If a query matches a query in the database, that query is blocked from transmission to the destination. If a query is transmitted to its destination, and it is later determined that query caused a problem on that destination, that query is added to the database of queries. In one embodiment, a query that does not cause any problems is written to a pool of current up-to-date backup databases that may be used if the main system goes down. In another embodiment, the system tests variants of a query that caused a problem at the destination to attempt to discover other queries that could cause a problem.