Computing Dock Access Control via Local Credential Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Information handling systems are at risk of malicious compromise, leading to infiltration of computing environments and peripherals, with existing technologies lacking effective access control mechanisms for distributed resources.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for providing access control to distributed resources, involving a computing dock that stores a local access database of verified user credentials, receives access requests, and uses an authentication system to verify credentials and provide authorization tokens for resource access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access control mechanisms are implemented at distributed resources, then security against malicious compromise is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication system as an intermediary component that mediates between the information handling system and distributed resources. This authentication system verifies credentials and provides authorization tokens, centralizing the security function and preventing direct infiltration between systems and resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control functionality is segmented into distinct components: a local access database for storing credentials, an authentication system for verification, and an authorization token mechanism for resource access. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, improving security while managing complexity through modular design.
2Reliability
If centralized authentication systems are used, then access control reliability is improved, but access time and system response delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
User credentials are pre-stored in a local access database at the computing dock before authentication is needed. When access is requested, the system performs a local verification against this pre-populated database rather than querying a remote server, significantly reducing authentication time while maintaining security reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a local copy of the authentication database at the computing dock. This copy contains verified credentials that can be quickly compared against authentication requests without requiring real-time communication with the central authentication server, thus reducing access time while preserving authentication reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Providing access control to distributed resources, including storing, at a computing dock coupled to an information handling system, a local access database indicating verified credentials of one or more users; receiving, at the computing dock, a request for access to a resource coupled to the computing dock; providing, in response to the request for access, an authentication request to an authentication system; in response to the authentication request, providing, by the computing dock, an authentication challenge to the information handling system; receiving, at the computing dock and in response to the authentication challenge, user credentials at the authentication system; verifying, at the authentication system, the user credentials against the local access database; providing, based on the verified user credentials, an authorization token to the first device; and allocating, based on the authorization token, access to the resource to the information handling system.