Proxy Server Virtual Keyboard Thwarts Keyloggers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Keyloggers pose a significant threat to personal information by capturing sensitive data such as passwords and credit card numbers, with existing countermeasures requiring extensive user training or not being universally applicable, especially on websites lacking on-screen virtual keyboards.
Innovation Solution
A proxy server-based system that provides a virtual on-screen keyboard for users to enter credentials, acting as an intermediary between the client machine and the destination website, thereby preventing keyloggers from capturing actual keystrokes and allowing users to access accounts without typing on compromised machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user enters credentials directly on a client machine, then the operation is simple and direct, but keyloggers can capture the sensitive information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary between the user and the target website. The proxy server hosts a copy of the website's login page and handles credential collection, preventing keyloggers on the user's machine from capturing sensitive information. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by adding a security layer without requiring complex changes to the user's local system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the authentication process into two parts: the proxy server handles credential collection and verification, while the user's client machine only needs to communicate with the proxy. This segmentation isolates the sensitive credential input from potential keyloggers on the client machine, improving security without requiring complex client-side software.
2Reliability
If an on-screen virtual keyboard is used to enter credentials, then keyloggers are bypassed, but not all websites offer this feature
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server provides a universal solution that works with any website requiring authentication. Instead of relying on individual websites to implement virtual keyboards, the proxy server creates a standardized interface that mediates all credential input, making the security solution universally applicable across different websites and platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server acts as an intermediary that replicates the target website's login interface. This allows users to access websites that don't offer virtual keyboards through the proxy's secured interface, extending the security benefit to all websites without requiring changes to the original websites' code.
3Reliability
If random keystrokes are required between password entries, then keylogger accuracy is reduced, but extensive user training is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates the need for user intervention in security measures. The proxy server automatically handles credential collection through its hosted login page, and users simply interact with the familiar web interface. No training on random keystroke patterns or special input methods is required, maintaining ease of operation while improving security.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for using a proxy server are described herein. In response to a request received from a client for accessing a Web page provided from a remote Web server over a network, a proxy server retrieves the Web page from the remote Web server and presents the Web page to the client. The proxy server presents an input interface to the client to allow a user of the client to log into the proxy server without having to type at the client. The proxy server causes one or more keys in an input field of the Web page to be entered without a user having to type at the client. Thereafter, the proxy server intercepts traffic between the client and the remote Web server over the network.