Automated Access Control Policy Generation via Historical Data Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing security solutions require manual configuration of access control rules for computer resources, which is time-consuming and often leads to incomplete or ineffective configurations, increasing the vulnerability of systems to attacks.

Innovation Solution

An automated system generates access control rules based on historical user access data, separating it into training and validation sets to determine valid rules that limit access to only necessary users, using machine learning and statistical analysis to improve security without manual intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual configuration of access control rules is performed, then security policies can be customized for each user and resource, but the process becomes time-consuming and administratively burdensome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity effectivenessVSAvoidconfiguration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates access control rules by analyzing historical access data and user behavior patterns without requiring manual administrator intervention. The automated rule generation engine processes access requests, identifies patterns, and creates security policies autonomously, eliminating the time-consuming manual configuration process while maintaining effective security controls

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-processes historical access data to establish baseline user behavior patterns and access relationships before security threats occur. By analyzing past access patterns in advance, the system prepares access control rules that are ready to be applied immediately, reducing the time required for security configuration while ensuring reliable protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual analysis of files and system logs is performed to create tailored policies, then customized access control rules can be generated, but the process requires significant time and resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolicy customizationVSAvoidpolicy creation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical analysis of files and system logs with an automated computational engine that uses machine learning algorithms to analyze access patterns. The automated engine processes large volumes of access data rapidly, identifying relationships and generating customized access control rules without requiring administrator time or resources for manual analysis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates standardized templates for access control rules based on analyzed access patterns, which can be automatically replicated and applied across multiple users and resources. Once access control patterns are identified through analysis, the system generates template rules that can be efficiently copied and adapted, maintaining policy customization while dramatically improving creation efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If access control rules are manually maintained, then security policies can be updated, but the process requires accessing each machine separately and involves significant administrative overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity maintenanceVSAvoidmanagement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a centralized access control management platform that can remotely update and maintain security policies across multiple machines simultaneously. The automated rule generation and maintenance system provides universal functionality to manage access control across diverse systems through a single interface, eliminating the need to access each machine separately and reducing management complexity while maintaining reliable security

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an automated access control rule generation engine as an intermediary between security administrators and multiple target machines. This intermediary component handles the complex task of analyzing access patterns, generating rules, and distributing updates across all machines, simplifying the management process for administrators while ensuring consistent security maintenance across the entire system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If comprehensive access control rules are implemented, then the attack surface is reduced, but the configuration process becomes more complex and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattack surfaceVSAvoidconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates comprehensive access control rules by analyzing historical access data and identifying necessary security policies without requiring manual configuration. The automated engine processes access patterns and creates rules that comprehensively address security needs while avoiding configuration errors, reducing the attack surface without increasing configuration complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors access patterns and validates generated access control rules against actual usage data. By implementing feedback loops that analyze whether generated rules are effectively reducing the attack surface while maintaining necessary access, the system automatically refines and adjusts configurations, ensuring comprehensive security coverage without manual intervention or increased complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3834115B1Automated access control policy generation for computer resources
Publication Date: 2022.07.06 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3834115B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3834115B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3834115B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Methods, systems, and media are shown for generating access control rules for computer resources involving collecting historical access data for user accesses to a computer resource and separating the historical access data into a training data set and a validation data set. An access control rule is generated for the computer resource based on the properties of the user accesses to the computer resource in the training data set. The rule is validated against the validation data set to determine whether the rule produces a denial rate level is below a threshold when the rule is applied to the validation data set. If the rule is valid, then it is provided to an administrative interface so that an administrator can select the rule for application to incoming user requests.