Stackable Filesystem View Separation for Data Confidentiality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ransomware mitigation techniques are inadequate in preventing data theft and ensuring file integrity, as they focus mainly on reactive measures that do not defend against malware that deletes or corrupts data, and often compromise usability or require user awareness of decoy files.
Innovation Solution
A stackable filesystem architecture with ranked security domains and an order theory algorithm to determine proper domain execution, utilizing decoy files and transparent monitoring to protect the base filesystem from unauthorized access and modifications, while maintaining data integrity and confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ransomware mitigation techniques focus on reactive measures such as storing cryptographic keys or running in sandbox environments, then system recovery capability is improved, but data confidentiality and integrity protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the filesystem into multiple security domains with different trust levels, creating a hierarchical structure where untrusted domains cannot access trusted domains. This segmentation prevents data theft while maintaining system recovery capability through controlled access paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary filesystem layer that mediates between untrusted applications and the base filesystem. This intermediary enforces access control policies and prevents direct access to sensitive data, thereby protecting confidentiality while allowing system recovery operations.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If deceptive files are used to detect attacker presence, then detection capability is improved, but usability deteriorates due to user confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different qualities to different parts of the filesystem by creating domain-specific views. Untrusted domains see deceptive files and restricted views, while trusted domains see the authentic filesystem, thereby maintaining usability for legitimate users while detecting attackers.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of showing users the real filesystem and hiding decoys, the patent inverts the approach by showing untrusted domains a fake filesystem with decoys while preserving the real filesystem for trusted domains. This inversion maintains usability for legitimate operations while enabling attacker detection.
3Reliability
If copy-on-write filesystem with ransomware detection is used, then file integrity protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic security domain assignment where processes are automatically placed in appropriate trust levels based on their parent process and application characteristics. This dynamic approach simplifies the overall architecture compared to static complex configurations while maintaining strong file integrity protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal security domain framework that handles multiple security functions (access control, integrity protection, confidentiality, and attacker detection) within a single architecture. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to implementing separate mechanisms for each security concern.
Data Source
AI summary
A stackable filesystem architecture that curtails data theft and ensures file integrity protection. In this architecture, processes are grouped into ranked filesystem views, or “security domains.” Preferably, an order theory algorithm is utilized to determine a proper domain in which an application is run. In particular, a root domain provides a single view of the filesystem enabling transparent filesystem operations. Each security domain transparently creates multiple levels of stacking to protect the base filesystem, and to monitor file accesses without incurring significant performance overhead. By combining its layered architecture with view separation via security domains, the filesystem maintains data integrity and confidentiality.