Security Aware Email Server Network Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increased use of mobile devices for sending and receiving emails, particularly over public and unsecure networks, raises security concerns as emails may be embedded with malware, and existing technologies lack effective measures to differentiate between secure and unsecure network usage.
Innovation Solution
A security-aware email server that determines the security status of the sending network by receiving appended information and uses user preferences to decide on actions such as forwarding, cleansing, or segregating emails, ensuring recipient safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mobile devices are used to send emails over public networks, then email accessibility and convenience are improved, but security risks increase due to unsecure networks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the sending network's security status before delivering the email to the recipient. The email server determines whether the sender used a secure or unsecure network and takes preventive actions (such as quarantine or additional verification) before the email reaches the recipient, thus preventing potential security threats while maintaining mobile email accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The email server acts as an intermediary between the sender and recipient, analyzing the network security status and deciding whether to deliver, quarantine, or reject the email based on the assessment. This intermediary function allows mobile email usage to continue while providing a security layer that protects recipients from threats introduced by unsecure public networks
2Device complexity
If all incoming emails are treated with the same security level, then processing simplicity is maintained, but security effectiveness is reduced by not differentiating between secure and unsecure network sources
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different security treatment to different emails based on their source network characteristics. Emails from secure networks receive standard processing, while emails from unsecure networks undergo additional security measures such as quarantine or enhanced verification. This localized quality approach ensures that security efforts are concentrated where they are most needed without unnecessarily complicating the processing of emails from trusted sources
Data Source
AI summary
A security aware email server and a method of managing incoming email are described. The server includes a memory device configured to store rules, instructions, and user preferences. The processor makes a determination of whether a sender of an incoming email used a secure or unsecure sending network to send the email and determines an action to take with the email based on the determination and the user preferences.