Reputation System for Attack Information Tag Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for detecting attacks in distributed systems, such as VoIP, face challenges in assessing the reliability and quality of attack information tags generated by intermediate entities, particularly when there is no prior agreement on semantics, and lack mechanisms to evaluate the trustworthiness of these tags across entities with no trust relationship.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a reputation system that receives and generates ratings for attack information tags, allowing evaluating entities to assess their reliability and quality, even if the tags are proprietary, by mapping local meanings to a global understanding, and considering the capabilities and past experiences of tagging entities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If attack information tags are generated by intermediate entities in a distributed system, then attack detection capability is improved, but the reliability and quality of the tags cannot be assessed without prior agreement on semantics

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of attack information tagsVSAvoidcomplexity of semantic agreement mechanisms
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A reputation system is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between tagging entities and evaluating entities. The reputation system receives attack information tags from intermediate entities, generates ratings based on entity reputation and tag quality, and provides these ratings to evaluating entities. This mediator enables reliability assessment without requiring direct semantic agreements between all entities, resolving the contradiction by centralizing the evaluation function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The reputation system implements a feedback mechanism where evaluating entities provide feedback about tag accuracy and relevance. This feedback is used to update entity reputations and generate ratings for future tags. The feedback loop enables continuous improvement of tag reliability assessment, allowing the system to learn from past performance and improve future evaluations without requiring complex semantic agreements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If proprietary attack information tags are used by intermediate entities, then detection accuracy is improved, but evaluating entities cannot understand or assess the tags without prior agreement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of attack detectionVSAvoidcompatibility between different entities
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The reputation system acts as a universal intermediary that translates proprietary tags from different entities into a common evaluation framework. It receives tags in their original proprietary format, evaluates them based on the sender's reputation and the tag's intrinsic quality, and generates standardized ratings that can be understood by any evaluating entity regardless of its proprietary tag format, thus enabling compatibility while preserving detection precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter representation of attack information from proprietary formats to standardized reputation ratings. Instead of requiring evaluating entities to understand complex proprietary tag semantics, the system transforms the information into a simplified rating parameter that conveys the essential quality assessment, enabling cross-entity compatibility while maintaining detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If trust relationships are established between entities, then attack information can be reliably evaluated, but the system cannot function across entities without pre-established trust

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrustworthiness of attack informationVSAvoidsystem scalability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The reputation system serves as a scalable intermediary that enables trust assessment between entities without requiring pre-established trust relationships. It collects and processes feedback from evaluating entities to generate reputation ratings that can be queried by any entity, allowing the system to scale to large numbers of entities with diverse trust histories while maintaining reliable attack information evaluation through centralized reputation management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2351323B1Method for supporting attack detection in a distributed system
Publication Date: 2017.04.26 NEC CORP
  • EP2351323B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

A method for supporting attack detection in a distributed system, wherein a message being sent within said distributed system from a source entity A to one or more target entities D is transmitted via one or more intermediate entities (B, C), and wherein at least one of said one or more intermediate entities - tagging entity - appends an attack information tag to said message indicating whether said message constitutes or is part of an attack, is characterized in that a reputation system is provided, said reputation system being configured to receive said attack information tag generated by said tagging entity (3), and to generate a rating of said attack information tag (4).