Edge Data Pipeline Security Using Dynamic Tags and Auth Policies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current security systems in fog computing environments, particularly in industrial settings, are vulnerable to attacks due to weak authentication controls, allowing malicious software to deploy malware or ransomware, which can compromise safety systems and disrupt critical infrastructure operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secure edge data stream processing and distribution system that uses metadata to indicate ownership and access rights, with dynamically generated tags and roles, and leveraging trusted execution contexts and named keys for secure communication between fog nodes and devices, ensuring secure data processing and transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If weak authentication controls are used in fog computing environments, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but security reliability deteriorates allowing malicious software deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions before data processing begins. The auth policy engine pre-establishes trust relationships, generates authentication tokens, and configures access policies in advance, so that when data flows through the pipeline, security verification is already in place without adding operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an authentication and authorization policy engine as an intermediary component between data sources and processing pipelines. This mediator handles security verification centrally, allowing individual components to maintain simplicity while the intermediary ensures robust security through token-based authentication and policy enforcement
2Reliability
If metadata with ownership and access rights is added at the edge, then data security and trustworthiness are improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security functionality into distinct modular components: edge devices add metadata, the auth policy engine processes authentication, and downstream pipelines enforce policies. This segmentation allows each component to handle security tasks independently without overwhelming complexity, while the combined system achieves high data trustworthiness
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication and authorization policy engine serves multiple functions simultaneously: it authenticates data sources, authorizes access rights, generates security tokens, and enforces policies across different data pipelines. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate security components, managing complexity while maintaining strong data protection
3Reliability
If dynamically generated tags and roles are implemented in the data pipeline, then access control security is improved, but processing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates authentication tokens and establishes access policies in advance through the auth policy engine. These pre-configured security credentials are then quickly validated as data flows through the pipeline, avoiding time-consuming security checks during real-time processing while maintaining strong access control
4Object-affected harmful factors
If secure containers and authentication engines are deployed at the edge, then security against malware and ransomware is improved, but device complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deploys an authentication and authorization policy engine as a centralized intermediary that handles complex security operations. This mediator manages malware protection, authentication, and authorization centrally, allowing edge devices to maintain simpler configurations while still achieving strong protection against malicious software through the intermediary's security enforcement
Data Source
AI summary
According to some exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a secure edge datastream processing and distribution system comprising a trusted datastream with metadata indicating ownership and access rights added at an edge. Further embodiments include sensors, machines or robots sending sensor data attributes to a fog operating system data pipeline, the fog operating system data pipeline sending dynamic data tags to secure containers and/or the fog operating system data pipeline sending role and org assignment data to secure containers. The secure containers may send correlated edge analytics to an authorization policy engine, and/or the secure containers may send datastream identification definition data to an authorization policy engine.