Digital Certificate Consent for SSL Proxy Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for monitoring SSL communications at a proxy do not effectively obtain user consent, leading to privacy concerns and non-compliance with regulations, as they either bypass user decision-making, unreliable or uninformative warning messages, or unsuitable for all types of data requests.

Innovation Solution

A system that requests a digital certificate from the user to explicitly consent to monitoring SSL transactions, using a pair of certificates with clear 'accept' and 'reject' options, integrated into the SSL handshake protocol to ensure user authentication and informed consent before allowing or prohibiting SSL traffic decryption at a proxy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a proxy monitors SSL communications without obtaining explicit user consent, then monitoring capability is achieved, but user privacy is violated and regulatory compliance is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser consent validationVSAvoidprivacy violation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by obtaining user consent before monitoring SSL communications begins. The proxy requests a digital certificate from the user during the SSL handshake process, and only after receiving and validating the certificate does it proceed to monitor the communications. This ensures user privacy is protected until explicit consent is obtained.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a digital certificate as an intermediary mechanism to mediate between the proxy's monitoring capability and user privacy concerns. The certificate serves as a trusted intermediary that verifies user identity and consent, allowing the proxy to monitor communications only after the user has explicitly authorized through the certificate validation process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If warning messages are used to inform users about proxy monitoring, then user awareness is improved, but the messages are often unreliable or uninformative

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser awareness of monitoringVSAvoidwarning message reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces unreliable mechanical warning messages with a cryptographic digital certificate mechanism. Instead of using text-based warnings that can be misleading or ignored, the system uses mathematically secure digital certificates that provide unambiguous, verifiable proof of user consent. The certificate contains cryptographic information that definitively indicates whether the user consents to monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of user communication from subjective warning messages to objective cryptographic certificates. The digital certificate provides a clear, unambiguous parameter (the certificate itself) that indicates user consent status, eliminating the ambiguity and unreliability of text-based warnings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the proxy decrypts SSL traffic for monitoring, then content inspection capability is achieved, but unauthorized data access and privacy breaches occur without user consent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent inspection capabilityVSAvoidunauthorized data access

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The proxy performs preliminary action by obtaining user consent through digital certificate validation before decrypting and inspecting SSL traffic. The system validates the user's digital certificate during the SSL handshake, and only after successful validation does it proceed to decrypt and monitor the communications. This prevents unauthorized data access while maintaining content inspection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If digital certificates are used to obtain user consent, then user authentication and informed consent are improved, but the SSL handshake process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser authentication accuracyVSAvoidSSL handshake complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves universality by making the digital certificate serve multiple functions within the SSL handshake process. The same certificate validation mechanism that authenticates the user also simultaneously obtains informed consent for monitoring. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate, additional authentication steps, thereby limiting the increase in complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7543146B1Using digital certificates to request client consent prior to decrypting SSL communications

Publication Date: 2009.06.02 CA TECH INC

AI summary

In response to an indication of a desire to initiate a secure communication session (e.g., a session utilizing a the SSL communication protocol) with a computer resource, a digital certificate indicative of whether or not a user consents to monitoring of the secure communication session is requested. The response to this request will permit or deny such monitoring, allowing the session to proceed or be cancelled, accordingly.