Remote Login Proxy for Third-Party Application Authentication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties managing multiple software applications, particularly with remembering credentials and the increased security vulnerabilities from client-side automation technologies.
Innovation Solution
A remote login service that intercepts login requests, handles them transparently, and provides session cookies to browsers, eliminating the need for client-side credential storage and reducing security risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If client-side automation technologies are used to assist users in managing multiple applications, then ease of operation is improved, but security vulnerabilities increase due to exposure of client secrets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server-side proxy that acts as an intermediary between the user's browser and third-party applications. The proxy intercepts login requests, manages credentials securely on the server, and handles authentication transparently. This eliminates the need for client-side credential storage while maintaining automated login functionality, thus resolving the security vulnerability without sacrificing ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If software is installed on individual client devices to automate login management, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts the automation functionality from client-side software to a server-side proxy. Instead of installing and maintaining software on each user's device, the proxy handles all login automation centrally through browser-based interception. This eliminates client-side complexity while preserving automated login benefits.
3Reliability
If users manually manage credentials for multiple applications, then security is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy serves as a secure intermediary that manages credentials centrally on the server. Users no longer need to remember multiple credentials manually, as the proxy handles authentication transparently. Security is maintained through server-side credential management, while ease of operation is improved by eliminating the burden of credential memorization.
4Ease of operation
If client-side devices store credentials locally, then ease of operation is improved, but security risks increase due to potential malware execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server-side proxy as an intermediary that eliminates the need for local credential storage. The proxy intercepts login requests and manages authentication securely on the server, preventing malware on client devices from accessing credentials. Automatic login capability is preserved through the proxy's transparent authentication process.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Users of organizations use many different third-party applications. The organizations use the services of a server to manage and interact with the third-party applications. In particular, the server provides a remote login service that interacts with auto-login components executing within the domains of the organizations. The auto-login components intercept (e.g., at networking devices of the organization) the requests to login to, or otherwise use, the third-party applications, and sends them to the remote login service. The remote login service handles transparent login of the users to the third-party applications, capturing resulting URLs and session cookies of the third-party applications and providing them to the user browsers so that the user is automatically provided with access to the applications without requiring manual login interactions.