Cloud App Authentication Policy Enforcement Using Vulnerability Index
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vulnerability management systems for cloud-based applications lack a standardized mechanism for enterprises to dynamically process vulnerability information, leading to potential false positives and operational inconveniences, as cloud providers often make decisions without considering enterprise-specific policies.
Innovation Solution
A system is implemented that allows enterprises to interleave customized access policies with cloud providers by exchanging vulnerability information during authentication, using a vulnerability index to determine access levels based on enterprise-specific parameters such as criticality, user roles, and data sensitivity, enabling dynamic policy enforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If cloud providers make vulnerability management decisions autonomously, then response speed is improved, but false positives increase and enterprise-specific security policies are not considered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication server as an intermediary between the cloud application and cloud network. This server receives authentication requests containing vulnerability information, evaluates them against enterprise security policies, and determines access levels. This intermediary mechanism enables both rapid automated response and accurate policy-based decision-making, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If standardized vulnerability management mechanisms are implemented, then coordination between enterprises and cloud providers is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication server performs multiple functions: it authenticates users, evaluates vulnerability information, enforces security policies, and determines access levels. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single universal component, the system achieves improved coordination capability without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Reliability
If dynamic policy enforcement is implemented, then security alignment with enterprise needs is improved, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
Enterprise security policies are pre-configured and stored in the authentication server before vulnerability assessments occur. When vulnerability information is received, the server simply compares it against the pre-established policies rather than performing complex real-time analysis. This preliminary preparation reduces processing overhead while maintaining strong security alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are techniques to facilitate dynamic policy enforcement for cloud-based applications in an enterprise environment. In one example, a method may include obtaining, from a cloud network of a cloud-based application, an authentication request associated with an enterprise user that is seeking to utilize the cloud-based application, wherein the authentication request comprises an application identifier and a vulnerability index associated with the cloud-based application; identifying one or more vulnerabilities of the cloud-based application based on the application identifier and the vulnerability index; determining an access level for which the cloud-based application is allowed to access the enterprise network based, at least in part, on one or more vulnerabilities of the cloud-based application and one or more access rules associated with the cloud-based application; and sending a response to the cloud network indicating the access level for which the cloud-based application is allowed to access the enterprise network.