Secure Computational Environment via Component Extraction and Data Slicing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional defense solutions fail to effectively address the underlying issues that allow exploits and threats in software components, such as prolonged exposure and administrative access, leading to difficulty in discovering compromised components and mitigating their negative effects.
Innovation Solution
A system that limits exploitable sub-components, replaces software components with known-good versions without detection of compromise, and secures information by interleaving and encrypting data slices using different cryptographic schemes within data packets with varying headers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional defense solutions (firewalls, anti-malware detection) are used to identify and mitigate threats, then security monitoring capability is improved, but the underlying issues allowing exploits to exist (prolonged exposure, administrative access) are not addressed, leading to continued vulnerability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes exploitable sub-components (such as administrative access interfaces and unnecessary privileges) from software components before deployment. This extraction eliminates the root causes of vulnerability rather than merely detecting threats, directly resolving the contradiction between monitoring capability and underlying vulnerability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by replacing software components with known-good versions before they can be compromised or exploited in the runtime environment. This preventive approach addresses vulnerabilities before exploits can occur, rather than relying solely on post-compromise detection.
2Ease of operation
If software components are exposed in the runtime environment for long periods to provide administrative access and privileges, then operational functionality is improved, but the risk of compromise and exploitation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements short-lived software component instances that are automatically replaced after use or after a predetermined period. These temporary components provide necessary administrative access for operations but are discarded before they can be compromised, resolving the contradiction between operational functionality and security risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards potentially compromised components by automatically replacing them with known-good versions from a secure repository. This discarding mechanism ensures that even if components are exposed during operation, they are replaced before exploitation can occur, maintaining both functionality and security.
3Adaptability or versatility
If networks are exposed via connections required to maintain components in the runtime environment, then component accessibility is improved, but network exposure creates additional attack vectors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes network exposure risks by isolating the runtime environment from direct network access. Components are replaced through a secure repository interface rather than direct network connections, eliminating attack vectors while maintaining component accessibility through the controlled replacement mechanism.
4Loss of energy
If software components are replaced only after compromise detection, then resource usage is optimized, but extensive damage may have already been inflicted by the time of discovery
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic replacement of software components with known-good versions from a secure repository, regardless of whether compromise is detected. This periodic action occurs at predetermined intervals or after a number of uses, ensuring that components are refreshed before exploitation can occur while optimizing resource usage by not requiring continuous monitoring and detection.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Approaches for providing a secure computational environment are disclosed. In certain implementations, a secure computational environment may be provided by: limiting exploitable or potentially exploitable sub-components in software components; replacing software components with corresponding known-good software components without regard to whether the software components have been compromised or potentially compromised; combining different information to be transmitted into different slices of a data packet and/or encrypting the slices using different cryptographic schemes; processing a data packet having data slices associated with different information that are encrypted using different cryptographic schemes; securing information using data packets having headers that start at different positions within a data packet with respect to other data packets; processing data packets having headers that start at different positions within a data packet with respect to other data packets; or utilizing other approaches.