Web Server Certificate Verification Fallback Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing client software interrupts communication with a web server if it fails to verify the server certificate, leading to user inconvenience and potential information leakage, as it requires user confirmation to proceed with alternative procedures.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with a first obtaining unit to obtain a certificate, a verifying unit to verify the certificate, and a communicating unit to establish secure or unsecure communication based on verification success, allowing for alternative procedures such as displaying a simplified web page if verification fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If client software interrupts communication when server certificate verification fails, then security is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts communication security level based on verification results. When certificate verification fails, the system transitions from requiring strict secure communication to allowing unsecure communication as an alternative, making the security mechanism flexible rather than rigid. This resolves the contradiction by adapting the security requirement to the actual verification outcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication mode parameter is changed based on verification success. The system changes the communication parameter from 'secure communication only' to 'unsecure communication allowed' when verification fails, enabling continued service while maintaining security when possible. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction between security and convenience.
2Reliability
If client software requires user confirmation for alternative procedures, then security is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically handles the alternative communication procedure without requiring user confirmation. When certificate verification fails, the client software autonomously switches to unsecure communication mode, eliminating the need for user intervention. This self-service approach maintains security through automated decisions while reducing software complexity by removing the user confirmation mechanism.
3Reliability
If communication is interrupted when certificate verification fails, then security is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares alternative communication paths in advance. When certificate verification fails, the pre-configured unsecure communication path is immediately activated, ensuring service continuity without interruption. This preliminary preparation of alternative routes maintains security when possible while ensuring productivity is not compromised when verification fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuous communication by switching to unsecure mode when secure communication is not possible. Rather than interrupting the useful action of communication, the system maintains continuity through alternative means, resolving the contradiction between security and productivity by keeping the communication channel open regardless of verification outcome.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus is communicable with a web server to provide a web page, and obtains a certificate of the web server, verifies the certificate, and controls, in a case that verification of the certificate is successful, to establish secure communication with the web server and display a first screen which represents first information received from the web server via the secure communication. In a case the verification of the certificate is not successful, unsecure communication with the web server is established, and a second screen which is different from the first screen is displayed and represents second information received from the web server via the unsecure communication.