Proxy Site Detection via Secondary URL Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network administrators face challenges in controlling user access to restricted websites due to the dynamic nature of web-based proxy sites, which are difficult to keep up with as they constantly change and expand, leading to manual effort and potential ethical or legal issues.
Innovation Solution
An automated system for detecting proxy sites by analyzing URL requests, identifying secondary URLs, and blocking access to restricted network locations, using a categorized URL database and policy management to prevent access through proxy sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If administrators manually maintain a list of proxy websites to block, then access control to restricted websites is improved, but the administrative effort and time required increases significantly due to the constantly expanding number of proxy sites
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic detection of proxy websites through analysis of HTTP traffic patterns. The gateway server autonomously identifies proxy sites by detecting characteristic request-response patterns without requiring manual administrator intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliable access control and reducing administrative time investment
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous monitoring of network traffic to detect new proxy websites. By analyzing HTTP requests and responses in real-time, the system provides feedback about newly discovered proxy sites to the blocking mechanism, ensuring access control remains effective without requiring manual updates to the blocked sites list
2Ease of operation
If administrators block specific URLs to prevent access to restricted websites, then access control is simplified, but users can easily bypass these restrictions using web-based proxy applications
Solution Approach 1:
The system positions the gateway server as an intermediary between users and the internet. By analyzing HTTP traffic passing through this intermediary, the system can detect proxy applications and their target restricted websites, maintaining access control effectiveness while keeping the blocking mechanism simple and transparent to users
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of HTTP traffic patterns to identify proxy websites before they can be used to bypass restrictions. By detecting and blocking proxy sites proactively rather than reactively, the system maintains access control effectiveness without requiring complex real-time intervention mechanisms
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors and analyzes all HTTP traffic to detect proxy sites, then detection accuracy is improved, but network performance and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies specialized analysis only to specific portions of HTTP traffic that exhibit proxy-like characteristics. By focusing computational resources on analyzing request-response patterns indicative of proxy usage rather than processing all traffic uniformly, the system maintains high detection accuracy while reducing overall network processing overhead
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for the detection of uncategorized web-based proxy sites, where an action may be provided in association with access to restricted network locations. In a step A, a network location access request may be received from a computing facility. In a step B, a URL database may be assessed that contains categorized URLs and it may be determined that a URL associated with the network location access request is previously uncategorized URL. In a step C, it may be determined that the URL associated with the network location access request includes a secondary URL. In a step D, the URL database may be accessed that contains categorized URLs and it may be determined that the client is restricted from accessing the secondary URL. In a step E, the action may be provided in association with the network location access request as a previously uncategorized proxy website when steps B, C, and D are all met.