Auditable Mechanism for Internal Service Transactions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud computing environments face security risks due to lack of transparency and accountability in internal services' access to customer data, particularly through full trust service-to-service calls which can lead to unauthorized changes and security breaches.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cloud security module that registers internal services with an assistant service, configures the assistant service to perform auditable cloud computing actions, and allows the assistant service to perform these actions on behalf of the internal service based on existing permissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If full trust service-to-service calls are used, then service operation simplicity is improved, but security reliability deteriorates due to lack of accountability and transparency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication and authorization mechanism between services. Instead of direct full-trust calls, services must go through this intermediary layer that verifies identities, checks permissions, and logs actions. This mediator maintains operational simplicity while enforcing security protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through authentication responses, permission verification results, and action logging. These feedback loops provide transparency about service interactions, allowing monitoring and auditing while maintaining the simplified service-to-service communication architecture.
2Productivity
If internal services have unrestricted access to tenant data, then service productivity is improved, but loss of information worsens due to unauthorized changes and data breaches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by granting services access to tenant data selectively based on their specific permissions and requirements. Each service receives only the minimal necessary access rights for its function, rather than unrestricted access. This is enforced through permission verification at the data access layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions before allowing any data access. Services must first prove their identity and obtain explicit permission for each data operation. This preliminary verification prevents unauthorized changes while maintaining efficient service operation.
3Device complexity
If service-to-service calls lack transparency, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision worsens due to inability to audit actions
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication and authorization system operates autonomously as a self-service mechanism. It automatically verifies service identities, checks permissions, and logs actions without requiring manual intervention or complex external monitoring systems. This self-service approach maintains architectural simplicity while providing comprehensive auditing capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Example aspects include techniques for providing an auditable mechanism for internal services to transact on tenant entities. These techniques may include receiving, from an internal service, by an assistant service, a service request to perform a cloud computing action over tenant data of a tenant of a cloud computing environment. In addition, the techniques may include identifying, by the assistant service, an existing principal of the assistant service within the tenant and possession of an existing permission associated with performing the cloud computing action within the tenant of the cloud computing environment. Further, the techniques may include performing the cloud computing action on behalf of the internal service based on identifying the existing principal and possession of the existing permission.