Device Management Proxy for Secure Hardware Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current operating systems do not provide secure and specific access to hardware device settings for applications, leading to security risks due to elevated privileges that exceed the necessary access levels.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a digitally signed Device Management Proxy Service (DMPS) that controls access to hardware device settings, ensuring only provisioned and validated applications can make changes, either locally on the device or as a separate server service, using digital certificates for authentication and authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If applications are given elevated privileges to access hardware device settings, then applications can interact with hardware settings, but security risks increase because applications gain access to critical functionality that exceeds their needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the access control mechanism by introducing a device management proxy service that mediates between applications and hardware settings. Instead of giving applications direct elevated privileges, the system divides the access path into controlled segments: application → proxy service → hardware settings. The proxy service maintains a provisioning database that segments access rights by application identity, allowing each application to access only its authorized settings without gaining broad elevated privileges.
Solution Approach 2:
The device management proxy service acts as an intermediary between applications and hardware settings. The proxy service receives requests from applications, validates them against the provisioning database, and either permits or blocks access to hardware settings. This intermediary layer eliminates the need for applications to have elevated privileges while still enabling authorized access to specific settings, thus resolving the security contradiction.
2Reliability
If operating systems restrict application access to hardware device settings, then security is improved, but application functionality is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control where the proxy service evaluates each request in real-time against the provisioning database. Access rights are not static but determined dynamically based on the application's identity, the specific hardware setting being accessed, and the provisioning information stored in the database. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain security restrictions while adaptively permitting necessary functionality for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of access control from binary (restricted/unrestricted) to granular (application-specific, setting-specific permissions). The provisioning database stores parameters that define which applications can access which hardware settings under what conditions. By changing these access parameters dynamically based on provisioning information, the system achieves both security and functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A hardware device architecture is described that improves security and flexibility in access to hardware device settings. A device management proxy service is digitally signed and granted access to device settings. Applications are then digitally provisioned by the proxy service and only validated signed requests from applications are permitted to change hardware device settings. Further granularity over hardware device settings is achieved through user accounts and groups established by the applications.