Retrieving both sensitive and non-sensitive content in a secure manner

• US 9,288,189 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ander, Stuart D., Cherian, Sanjay J., Engstrom, Daniel J., Shook, Aaron K., Stecher, David M., Wu, Billy C., Woods, Jeffrey H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cribbs, Malcolm
• Application Number:
  US14/148,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for retrieving both sensitive and non-sensitive content in a secure manner. After a proxy server establishes a secure connection between a client device and a web server, the client device receives the requested sensitive content, which includes an index file that contains a hash value that was generated by the web server. The web browser of the client device further issues a request to the proxy server to establish a non-secure connection to retrieve non-sensitive static content from the web server. After receiving the requested content, the web browser of the client device generates a hash value over the received content. If this generated hash value is equal to the hash value contained in the index file, then the web browser accepts the received non-sensitive static content. In this manner, both sensitive and non-sensitive content can be retrieved in a secure manner.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving both sensitive and non-sensitive content in a secure manner, the method comprising:

issuing a request to a proxy server to establish a secure connection with a server to retrieve sensitive content comprising a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) index file, wherein said HTML index file is comprised of HTML elements that define aspects of a web page;

receiving said HTML index file from said server using said secure connection, wherein said HTML index file comprises a first hash value computed by said server;

issuing a request to said proxy server to establish a non-secure connection with said server to retrieve non-sensitive static content;

receiving said non-sensitive static content using said non-secure connection;

generating, by a processor, a second hash value over said received non-sensitive static content;

accepting said non-sensitive static content in response to said second hash value equaling said first hash value;

alerting a user that said non-sensitive content was not accepted in response to said second hash value not equaling said first hash value; and

caching said requested non-sensitive static content by said proxy server for subsequent usage in response to said proxy server not previously caching said requested non-sensitive static content.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving said non-sensitive static content from said proxy server using said non-secure connection in response to said proxy server previously caching said requested non-sensitive static content.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said non-secure connection comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) connection, wherein said secure connection comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said non-sensitive static content comprises one or more of the following:

images, audio, video, and style settings.

5. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for retrieving both sensitive and non-sensitive content in a secure manner, the computer program product comprising the programming instructions for:

issuing a request to a proxy server to establish a secure connection with a server to retrieve sensitive content comprising a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) index file, wherein said HTML index file is comprised of HTML elements that define aspects of a web page;

receiving said HTML index file from said server using said secure connection, wherein said HTML index file comprises a first hash value computed by said server;

issuing a request to said proxy server to establish a non-secure connection with said server to retrieve non-sensitive static content;

receiving said non-sensitive static content using said non-secure connection;

generating a second hash value over said received non-sensitive static content;

accepting said non-sensitive static content in response to said second hash value equaling said first hash value; and

alerting a user that said non-sensitive content was not accepted in response to said second hash value not equaling said first hash value;

wherein said proxy server caches said requested non-sensitive static content for subsequent usage in response to said proxy server not previously caching said requested non-sensitive static content.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 5 further comprising the programming instructions for:

receiving said non-sensitive static content from said proxy server using said non-secure connection in response to said proxy server previously caching said requested non-sensitive static content.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 5, wherein said non-secure connection comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) connection, wherein said secure connection comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 5, wherein said non-sensitive static content comprises one or more of the following:

images, audio, video, and style settings.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for retrieving both sensitive and non-sensitive content in a secure manner; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions of the computer program comprising;

issuing a request to a proxy server to establish a secure connection with a server to retrieve sensitive content comprising a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) index file, wherein said HTML index file is comprised of HTML elements that define aspects of a web page;

receiving said HTML index file from said server using said secure connection, wherein said HTML index file comprises a first hash value computed by said server;

issuing a request to said proxy server to establish a non-secure connection with said server to retrieve non-sensitive static content;

receiving said non-sensitive static content using said non-secure connection;

generating a second hash value over said received non-sensitive static content;

accepting said non-sensitive static content in response to said second hash value equaling said first hash value; and

alerting a user that said non-sensitive content was not accepted in response to said second hash value not equaling said first hash value;

wherein said requested non-sensitive static content is cached by said proxy server for subsequent usage in response to said proxy server not previously caching said requested non-sensitive static content.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:

receiving said non-sensitive static content from said proxy server using said non-secure connection in response to said proxy server previously caching said requested non-sensitive static content.

11. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said non-secure connection comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) connection, wherein said secure connection comprises a HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection.

12. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein said non-sensitive static content comprises one or more of the following:

images, audio, video, and style settings.