Secure Token Obfuscation in Network Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service provider networks face challenges in protecting user identities and safeguarding confidential information while facilitating the provisioning of services, applications, and content to users from third-party providers without revealing user identities.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system where a user device generates a modified HTTP request with a secure token that encodes a user identifier, allowing third-party providers to initiate processes like content targeting, authentication, and billing without being aware of the user's identity, utilizing a token system that generates and manages secure tokens for user authentication and authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If user identifiers are transmitted directly to third-party providers for service provisioning, then service delivery efficiency is improved, but user identity privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a token as an intermediary element that mediates between the user identifier and the third-party provider. The token contains encoded user identifier information but is processed through the service provider's network infrastructure, which acts as a mediator to strip or obfuscate the direct user identity before forwarding to the third-party provider. This allows service provisioning to continue while protecting user identity privacy.
2Loss of information
If secure tokens are generated and managed to obfuscate user identities, then user privacy protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The service provider network infrastructure is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as the service delivery network, the token processing system, and the identity obfuscation mechanism. The same network elements that route service traffic also generate, process, and manage the secure tokens. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If direct user identification is used for targeted content delivery, then content personalization accuracy is improved, but user confidentiality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different levels of information disclosure to different parts of the system. The service provider network maintains full user identifier information for accurate content personalization and targeted delivery. However, when communicating with third-party providers, only the obfuscated token information is transmitted. This local differentiation of information quality allows precise content personalization where needed while protecting user confidentiality in external communications.
Data Source
AI summary
A user device is configured to receive a request to obtain a service, an application, or content from a provider; obtain, based on receiving the request, a token that may correspond to a user of the user device and may obfuscate an identity of the user to the provider; modify the request to include the token and to form a modified request; provide the modified request to the provider; receive, based on providing the modified request, information regarding the service, the application, or the content from the provider; and present the information for display on a display screen.