Safe Data Access Through Any Channel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Computer systems face vulnerabilities due to the constant sharing of electronic data, which can lead to the rapid transmission of viruses and malicious files through various access channels, necessitating improved safety measures for data access.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that automatically analyzes data items accessed through multiple channels by determining whether they satisfy predefined policies, using unique identifiers stored in a database to efficiently check if the data items have been previously tested, and providing safe access to users while ensuring policy compliance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data items are automatically analyzed to determine policy satisfaction, then data safety is improved, but access time is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata safetyVSAvoidaccess time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of data items before they are accessed by users. By analyzing the data item upfront and determining its policy satisfaction status in advance, the system prepares the security verification results before the user access request occurs, thus avoiding time delays during actual access operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of the data item for analysis purposes, allowing the original data item to remain unchanged and accessible. The analysis is performed on the copied data, and the results are used to determine access permissions without blocking user access to the original data item.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If full access to data items is restricted during policy determination, then data safety is improved, but user productivity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata safetyVSAvoiduser productivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements partial access control during policy determination. Instead of completely blocking access, it provides limited access to the data item while the full policy determination is being performed. This allows users to perform basic operations or view portions of the data that do not require full policy verification, maintaining productivity while ensuring safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If data items are tested before access, then malware transmission is reduced, but system resource usage is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemalware transmission riskVSAvoidsystem resource usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary testing of data items to detect malware and other security threats before they can be accessed by users. By conducting security scans and analysis in advance, the system identifies and blocks malicious content proactively, preventing malware transmission while maintaining efficient resource usage during normal operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If multiple access channels are monitored, then security coverage is improved, but system complexity is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity coverageVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a universal security mechanism that can handle multiple access channels through a single integrated policy determination framework. The same security analysis and policy checking processes are applied regardless of which access channel is used, providing comprehensive security coverage across email, file sharing, web access, and other channels without requiring separate complex systems for each channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3574428B1Safe data access through any data channel
Publication Date: 2024.01.24 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3574428B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3574428B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3574428B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Providing safe access of a data item accessed through one of a plurality of access channels while concurrently providing a policy check of the data item. An indication associated with accessing a data item through one access channel of a plurality of access channels may be received. In response to receiving the indication associated with accessing the data item, the data item may be automatically analyzed to determine whether the data item satisfies a policy. Also in response to receiving the indication associated with accessing the data item and while determining whether the data item satisfies the policy, safe access of the data item may be provided. Regardless of the access channel through which the data item was accessed, any of the policy check, the safe access, and the analysis of the data item may be the same.