Secure Application-to-Application Messaging via Insecure API

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing application-to-application communication protocols in operating systems, such as Windows 10, often require cumbersome coding for secure sessions and may use insecure APIs, making secure data exchange between applications inefficient and vulnerable to access by other applications.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a secure application-to-application API to establish a secure communication session using encryption data and session information, allowing subsequent communications to occur through an insecure API while ensuring data privacy using encryption data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If secure application-to-application communication API is used, then data security is improved, but coding complexity and ease of operation deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidcoding complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary secure communication API layer between applications and the underlying insecure OS APIs. This intermediary handles authentication, authorization, and encryption/decryption operations automatically, allowing developers to use simple API calls while maintaining strong security. The intermediary translates high-level secure communication requests into low-level secure operations without requiring developers to implement complex security protocols manually.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If insecure API is used for communication, then ease of operation is improved, but data security deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of using APIVSAvoiddata security

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical security model of insecure OS APIs with an automated encryption/decryption system. Instead of relying on the inherent security properties of the underlying API (which are weak or non-existent), the system automatically applies cryptographic transformations to the data stream. This substitution allows the use of simple, well-documented insecure APIs while maintaining security through automated cryptographic operations that transparently protect the data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If encryption is applied to all communications, then data security is improved, but processing speed and productivity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidcommunication efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies encryption selectively rather than uniformly to all communication scenarios. The secure communication API assesses each communication request and applies encryption only when necessary based on security requirements, data sensitivity, and contextual factors. This partial application of encryption maintains security for sensitive communications while avoiding the performance overhead of encrypting all data, thus optimizing the balance between security and communication efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10262146B2Application-to-application messaging over an insecure application programming interface

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 OMNISSA LLC

AI summary

Disclosed are various approaches for a secure communication session between applications installed on a client device. The secure communication session can be provided over an insecure operating system application programming interface (API). By exchanging session information and encryption data, communications over the insecure API can be secured.