Tiered Security Zones for Web Applications via Interop Bus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing security techniques for web-based applications fail to facilitate efficient and secure data sharing between different trusted applications, requiring manual intervention and expert knowledge, and are unable to accommodate varying levels of trust, leading to inefficient and insecure data access.

Innovation Solution

Implementing tiered security zones with customizable permissions, firewalls, and content security policies, using an interop bus for secure data sharing between zones, and allowing applications in higher-trust zones to access data from lower-trust zones while restricting access in the opposite direction, with process isolation for robust security and efficient upgrades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If data is made accessible to authorized users to improve productivity, then data availability improves, but unauthorized access and data breaches become more likely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata availability to authorized usersVSAvoidunauthorized access and data breaches

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the web application into multiple security zones with different trust levels. Each zone has isolated processes and controlled data access, allowing authorized users to access data in appropriate zones while preventing unauthorized access across zones. This segmentation enables both high availability within zones and strong security between zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different security policies and access controls are applied to different security zones based on their trust levels. Higher-trust zones have more permissive access controls while lower-trust zones have stricter controls, enabling optimized security and availability for each zone's specific requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If existing security techniques are used to protect data, then security is maintained, but efficient and secure data sharing between trusted applications is not facilitated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoiddata sharing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The interop bus serves as an intermediary mechanism that enables secure data sharing between applications in different security zones. It provides controlled data exchange with automated permission verification, eliminating the need for manual security configurations while maintaining strong security controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The security zone architecture provides universal security controls that work across all applications and data types. The same zone-based access control mechanism handles diverse data sharing scenarios, from internal enterprise data to external customer data, without requiring application-specific security configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If manual intervention and expert knowledge are required for security configuration, then security control is maintained, but system complexity and operational difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidsecurity configuration simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs security verification and access control automatically through the zone architecture and interop bus. Applications automatically verify permissions and exchange data according to zone policies without requiring manual security configurations or expert intervention, while maintaining strong security controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Adaptability or versatility

If applications in higher-trust zones can access data from lower-trust zones, then data sharing capability improves, but security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata sharing capabilityVSAvoidsecurity risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements asymmetric access control where higher-trust zones can access lower-trust zones but not vice versa. This directional access control enables versatile data sharing from high-trust to low-trust zones while preventing security risks from low-trust zones accessing high-trust data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

5Reliability

If process isolation is implemented for robust security, then security reliability improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity reliabilityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments processes into isolated security zones, with each zone having its own process space and data access controls. This segmentation provides robust security isolation while managing complexity through standardized zone templates and automated management mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12182312B1Techniques to support tiered security zones for web-based applications

Publication Date: 2024.12.31 HERE ENTERPRISE INC

AI summary

First data from a first application logically located in a first security zone may be identified. A processing device may determine a second application is logically located in a second security zone having a higher trust level than the first security zone based on configuration data. The first data may be communicated, via an interoperation bus, to the second application based on the second security zone having the higher trust level.