Centralized Application Access Control Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large institutions face challenges in ensuring secure access to applications like Microsoft Office Suite products, as they lack a systematic way to externally authenticate users, leading to security gaps due to password management issues and sharing.
Innovation Solution
A centralized application access control system generates and manages randomly encrypted passwords, ensuring only authorized users can access applications through a configured mechanism, using single sign-on IDs and a secure store to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Microsoft Office Suite products use password protection for each file, then security is improved, but password management complexity and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized authentication server as an intermediary between users and protected applications. This server manages all authentication requests, generates session tokens, and validates user credentials centrally, eliminating the need for individual file passwords while maintaining security. The server acts as a mediator that handles password management complexity centrally rather than distributing it across multiple files.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server provides universal access control across multiple Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Visio) through a single authentication mechanism. Instead of implementing separate password systems for each application or file, the system uses one authentication server that works across all applications, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security.
2Ease of operation
If users share passwords to access applications, then ease of operation is improved, but security reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical password-sharing system with an electronic authentication token system. Instead of users physically or digitally sharing passwords, the authentication server generates unique session tokens for each authorized user. These tokens are automatically managed by the system, eliminating the need for manual password sharing while maintaining ease of access for authorized users.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system provides self-service functionality where users automatically receive their access tokens after authentication without needing to request or share passwords with others. The system automatically manages token distribution, renewal, and revocation, allowing users to access applications independently through their own credentials without involving other users in the authentication process.
3Reliability
If applications are protected with strong authentication, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple authentication functions into a single centralized authentication server. Instead of implementing separate authentication mechanisms in each Microsoft Office application, the system combines username verification, password validation, token generation, and session management into one unified server. This consolidation improves security through centralized control while reducing overall system complexity by eliminating redundant authentication components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for application access control is disclosed. First, a business coordinator needs to register a user developed tool (UDT) containing an application to be protected with the system via a software program. After registration, a random encrypted password is generated by the application access control server and stored in its back-end database as well as a local break-glass database corresponding to the UDT. When an entitled user accesses the application in the registered UDT later on, the system will check whether he/she is entitled to access the requested application. If yes, the system will retrieve the encrypted password for that application and thus launch the application.