Context-Based Policy Mapping for Real-Time Endpoint Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ensuring real-time verification of security compliance across devices deployed in multiple security contexts managed by different servers with varying security policies is challenging due to the need for context-specific security settings and frequent updates for newly identified vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A framework where agents probe endpoint devices for security settings, report status to a server, and enforce policies using context-based policy maps, updating in real-time to address deviations and newly identified vulnerabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If context-based policy maps are implemented to verify security compliance across multiple security contexts, then security compliance detection capability is improved, but device complexity and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security compliance verification system into multiple independent policy maps, each corresponding to a specific security context. The compliance agent probes for each security context separately using context-specific policy maps, allowing the system to handle multiple security contexts without creating a single complex verification mechanism. This segmentation enables modular processing and reduces overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of security context identification by assigning unique context identifiers to different security environments. The policy maps are structured with context identifiers as a key dimension, allowing the system to differentiate and verify compliance across multiple security contexts simultaneously. This dimensional approach transforms the complex multi-context verification problem into manageable context-specific verification tasks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If frequent updates of policy maps are performed to address newly identified vulnerabilities, then security responsiveness is improved, but network bandwidth consumption and system overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic probing intervals for security compliance verification, where the compliance agent probes endpoint devices at scheduled time intervals rather than continuously. This periodic action allows the system to detect new vulnerabilities and update policy maps at regular intervals, balancing security responsiveness with reduced network bandwidth consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-generates policy maps for multiple security contexts and stores them locally at endpoint devices before they are needed. When compliance verification is required, the agent retrieves and uses the pre-existing policy maps rather than generating or downloading them in real-time. This preliminary action reduces network bandwidth consumption during actual compliance checks while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to security requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A policy mapping module maintains and distributes policy maps indicating recommended security categories/category attributes for endpoint devices managed by a server device. Based on detecting a login event at an endpoint device, the policy mapping module communicates parameters of the updated policy map to the server device. The server device communicates the policy map to the endpoint device that deploys the policy map on a corresponding probing agent. The probing agent communicates reports of changes to categories/category attributes from the policy map to the server device, and the server device enforces its security policy based on evaluating the changes against security policies at the server device.