Distributed Authentication for Service Gating in Message-Based OS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed message-based operating systems face security risks due to the lack of enforcement of security policies and mechanisms in microkernel-based systems, where clients and servers are distributed and do not adequately manage access rights, leading to vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A security protocol that utilizes access rights and tokens to authenticate and authorize communication between clients and servers, with a channel policy that defines and persists mandatory access controls, ensuring that only authorized entities access OS resources and services, and employs timestamp validation to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If distributed message-based operating systems are used to enable communication between clients and servers, then system connectivity and functionality are improved, but security vulnerabilities increase due to lack of access rights management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that mediates between clients and servers. The system uses authentication tokens and access rights management as intermediaries to verify identities and authorize communications. The channel policy enforcement mechanism acts as a mediator that intercepts and validates communication channels, ensuring security without disrupting connectivity.
2Reliability
If security policies are enforced through channel policies and authentication mechanisms, then access control and security are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the security enforcement into distinct modular components: authentication mechanism, channel policy enforcement, and access rights management. Each component handles specific security functions independently, making the overall complex security system more manageable and maintainable through functional decomposition.
3Reliability
If authentication tokens and access rights are implemented to manage security, then unauthorized access is reduced, but processing time and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary authentication actions where clients obtain authentication tokens and access rights before establishing communication channels with servers. This advance authentication allows subsequent communications to proceed more efficiently without repeated verification, reducing processing time while maintaining security.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method enforce a security policy in a message-based operating system by controlling access to an operating system authenticator. The control occurs in response to an invocation of a microkernel call that initiates a process manager's function in accordance with the access right retained stored in a microkernel. The system and method control access to a server serving a client in the message-based operating system according to a token. The token is issued by the operating system authenticator and establishes a client's access to the services provided by the server.