Cloud Risk Assessment Using Security Graph Policies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud computing environments lack a unified benchmark for security measurement and existing tools are often tailored to specific types of environments or workloads, leading to inconsistent and inefficient cybersecurity vulnerability management across different cloud platforms.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for generating a contextual cloud risk assessment using a security graph, applying cloud assessment policies to represent multiple cloud environments uniformly, and initiating mitigation actions based on risk assessment reports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing security tools are tailored to specific cloud environments, then they can provide detailed security analysis for that environment, but they cannot provide consistent security measurement across different cloud platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal security assessment framework that can be applied across multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.) by defining platform-agnostic security policies and risk metrics. The system translates platform-specific security configurations into a common assessment model, enabling consistent security measurement across diverse cloud environments while maintaining the ability to assess each platform's unique characteristics.
2Reliability
If comprehensive security assessments are performed across all cloud environments, then all vulnerabilities can be identified, but the complexity and time required for assessment increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security assessment process into distinct modular components: policy definition modules, data collection modules, analysis modules, and reporting modules. Each module handles specific aspects of security assessment independently, allowing the system to maintain comprehensive vulnerability detection while reducing overall system complexity through modular architecture and specialized sub-systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining security policies, risk metrics, and assessment criteria before actual security assessments are conducted. This upfront preparation includes establishing baseline security configurations, pre-configuring detection rules, and setting up assessment frameworks, which streamlines the actual assessment process and reduces real-time complexity.
3Loss of time
If frequent security assessments are conducted, then vulnerabilities can be detected timely, but the computational resources and time required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic security assessments at strategically determined intervals based on risk levels, cloud environment changes, and vulnerability criticality. The system schedules assessments dynamically, performing more frequent checks on high-risk configurations and less frequent checks on stable, low-risk environments, thereby achieving timely vulnerability detection while optimizing resource utilization and maintaining assessment efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for generating a contextual cloud risk assessment of a cloud computing environment. The method includes accessing a plurality of cloud assessment policies, wherein a policy including a query executable on a security graph; applying the plurality of cloud assessment policies to the representation of the first cloud computing environment; generating a risk assessment report based on an output generated by applying a policy of the plurality of cloud assessment polices; and initiating a mitigation action based on a cybersecurity risk from the risk assessment report.