Secure Email System Core Using Cloud Storage and Anonymized Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current email systems are vulnerable to interception and do not allow senders to maintain control over sensitive information, with existing secure solutions either requiring bespoke services or imposing heavy processing and storage demands on central servers, and limited ability to assess security levels due to restricted user information.
Innovation Solution
A secure system core that derives a security metric based on user participation, allowing senders to control challenge parameters and email payload while maintaining anonymity, and enables dynamic security level adjustments based on the security metric, which includes factors like connection frequency and success rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If email is sent to and stored on a secure central server, then security is improved, but processing and storage demands on the central server increase and sender control is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the email payload storage from the central server system, placing it in external cloud storage instead. The central server only retains metadata and security challenge parameters, dramatically reducing its processing and storage burden while maintaining security oversight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cloud storage as an intermediary component between the central server and the email payload. This mediator handles the bulk storage requirements, allowing the central server to focus on security functions without being overwhelmed by storage demands.
2Reliability
If user device holds restricted information about recipient due to confidentiality requirements, then data governance compliance is improved, but ability to assess security level is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the central server derives security metrics from aggregated anonymized data about user participation patterns, connection frequencies, and challenge success rates. This feedback loop enables continuous security assessment without requiring user devices to hold or process sensitive personal information about recipients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms security assessment from relying on personal information about recipients to using aggregated statistical parameters such as connection frequency, challenge success rates, and participation patterns. This parameter transformation maintains assessment capability while complying with data governance restrictions.
3Reliability
If sender uses bespoke email service for secure communication, then security is improved, but ease of operation is reduced due to requiring different email application and addresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the central server system universally accessible to senders using their existing email clients and addresses. The system accepts emails from any standard email service and integrates with common email applications, eliminating the need for users to switch to proprietary secure email services while maintaining security capabilities.
Data Source
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AI summary
A secure system core (14) is disclosed for use in sending a secure electronic message from a sender device (10) to a receiver device (12) in a secure electronic message system. The secure system core comprises a storage means (16) which stores a record of a user's participation in the secure electronic message system, and a security metric module (72) arranged to derive a security metric associated with the user based on the record of the user's participation in the secure email system. This can allow a sender device to make a decision about a security level required for an electronic message while maintaining anonymity of the contributing factors.