Access Token Scope Alignment Through Request Clustering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access tokens often have disparities between their defined permissions and the actual access behaviors of requestor types, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in managing permissions for cloud resources.
Innovation Solution
Clustering access requests based on requestor types and analyzing access behaviors to tailor permissions for each type, recommending adjustments or using multiple access tokens with different scopes to align with actual access behaviors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If access tokens are created with broad permissions to cover all possible access operations, then the ease of operation is improved, but the security is worsened due to increased risk of malicious operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the scope of permissions for different types of access tokens based on the specific needs of different requestor types. Instead of using a uniform permission set for all tokens, the system determines and assigns tailored permission scopes that match the actual access behaviors required by developers, end users, system administrators, and machine services, thereby reducing unnecessary permissions while maintaining operational ease for legitimate uses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the permission scope parameter of access tokens based on the requestor type. The system changes the token's permission parameters (such as resource access scope, operation types, and duration) according to the specific access behaviors associated with different requestor types, enabling optimized security and functionality for each user category.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If access tokens are created with narrow permissions to enhance security, then the security is improved, but the ease of operation is worsened due to restricted access capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system addresses this contradiction by providing locally optimized permission scopes for each requestor type. Instead of applying a one-size-fits-all narrow permission set that would hinder legitimate operations, the patent customizes permission scopes to match the actual access behaviors needed by different users, ensuring that each type receives appropriately broad permissions for their legitimate needs while maintaining security through type-specific constraints.
3Device complexity
If a single access token is used for all requestor types, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of permission alignment is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the access token population into distinct segments based on requestor types. Instead of managing a single homogeneous token type, the system segments tokens into different categories (e.g., developer tokens, end user tokens, administrator tokens, machine service tokens) each with customized permission scopes. This segmentation enables precise permission alignment for each group while maintaining manageable complexity through automated classification and management of token types.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described herein that are capable of performing a security action with regard to an access token based on clustering of access requests. Subsets of access requests are clustered into respective clusters, which correspond to respective requestor types, based at least on the access requests in the subsets having respective attributes that indicate the respective requestor types. The access requests request access to cloud resources. Access behavior(s) associated with the access requests that are included in respective cluster(s) are identified. A security action is performed with regard to an access token based at least on at least one of the access behavior(s).