Proxy Server Selective Web Page Element Encryption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data protection techniques are ineffective against malware that can intercept and modify web page data prior to transmission, such as banking Trojans like Zeus and SpyEye, which analyze and alter content using API calls, compromising the security of web pages during transmission.

Innovation Solution

A system and method involving a proxy server that analyzes web pages, selects elements for encryption using asymmetric or symmetric methods, generates and embeds encrypted scripts, and transmits the modified web pages to user devices, ensuring secure transmission by replacing original code with encrypted elements and utilizing public and private keys for decryption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional encrypted communication protocols (HTTPS, SSL/TLS) are used to protect data transmission, then data protection during transmission is improved, but malware can still intercept and modify web page content before transmission using API call interception mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protection during transmissionVSAvoidmalware interception capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the web page content into different elements (form fields, buttons, links, etc.) and applies selective encryption to specific sensitive elements rather than encrypting the entire web page. This segmentation allows the system to protect only the critical confidential data elements while leaving other elements unencrypted, thereby maintaining protection against malware interception while preserving usability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary encryption of web page elements at the server side before the web page is transmitted to the user device. By encrypting sensitive elements in advance during server processing, the system ensures that confidential information is protected before it can be intercepted by malware on the user's device, addressing the limitation of traditional protocols that protect transmission but not client-side rendering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If selective encryption of web page elements is implemented, then security against malware is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional encryption/decryption processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against malwareVSAvoidencryption system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary component that handles the complex encryption and decryption operations. The proxy server acts as a mediator between the web server and the user device, performing selective encryption of web page elements and managing the encryption keys. This intermediary approach centralizes the complexity in a dedicated component rather than distributing it across the entire system, making the implementation more manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the encryption functionality from the standard web communication flow and implements it as a separate, dedicated encryption module within the proxy server. By taking out the encryption/decryption processes as independent operations, the system can manage complexity more effectively and maintain clear separation between encryption logic and web page processing logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of information

If encryption scripts are embedded in web pages, then data confidentiality is improved, but processing time increases due to additional encryption and decryption operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata confidentialityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs encryption of web page elements in advance during server-side processing before transmission to the user device. By completing the encryption operation preliminarily at the server end, the system reduces the computational burden and time required at the user device, where only decryption needs to occur. This preliminary action optimizes the overall processing time while maintaining strong confidentiality protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3169032B1System and method of encrypted transmission of web pages
Publication Date: 2020.07.08 AO KASPERSKY LAB
  • EP3169032B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3169032B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3169032B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are systems and method for encrypted transmission of web pages. One exemplary method comprises: receiving, by a proxy server, a web page requested by a user device; analyzing, by a hardware processor of the proxy server, the received web page to identify code of elements of the web page; selecting one or more identified elements of the web page for encryption; encrypting, by the hardware processor, the code of the one or more selected elements; generating, by the hardware processor, a script containing the encrypted code of the one or more selected elements; modifying the web page, by the hardware processor, by replacing in the web page the code of the one or more selected elements with the script containing the encrypted code of said one or more selected elements; and transmitting, by the proxy server, the modified web page to the user device.