Intent-Based IAM Authorization Tokens for Granular Application Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing identity and access management (IAM) systems face challenges in providing dynamic and granular authorization, often resulting in excessive permissions and increased security risks due to lack of individual access rights management, especially with the rise of distributed workforces and zero trust frameworks.
Innovation Solution
An IAM system that dynamically generates authorization tokens based on user attributes, access boundaries, and application functions, using a centralized data store for user attributes and integrating AI and human oversight to tailor permissions and access levels per application, reducing unnecessary information and enhancing flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional IAM systems provide comprehensive authorization to ensure user access capability, then user job performance is maintained, but security risks increase due to excessive permissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic authorization that automatically adjusts access permissions based on contextual factors including user identity, device characteristics, location data, and time of access. This dynamic approach replaces static permission assignments, allowing the system to grant minimal necessary permissions in real-time while maintaining user operational capability when conditions are verified as trustworthy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different authorization levels to different applications and data resources based on their specific security requirements and the user's relationship to each resource. Rather than uniform permission assignment, each access request is evaluated independently with permissions tailored to the specific application context, user role, and device trust level.
2Measurement precision
If IAM systems integrate multiple disparate systems for comprehensive authentication and authorization, then authentication accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal authorization framework that works across multiple disparate applications and systems through standardized protocols. The system integrates authentication, authorization, and device trust verification into a single unified process that can be applied consistently across different applications, reducing the need for separate integration mechanisms for each system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary authorization service that mediates between users and multiple applications. This intermediary handles the complex integration logic, collecting data from various sources (user profiles, device information, application requirements) and making centralized authorization decisions, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If least privilege access control is implemented to reduce security risks, then organizational security is improved, but user access efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts permission levels based on the specific access request context rather than assigning fixed minimal permissions. When a user needs access to a particular application or resource, the system temporarily elevates permissions to the necessary level, then automatically reduces them afterward. This maintains least privilege overall while enabling efficient access when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of user identity, device trustworthiness, and access requirements before granting permissions. By pre-validating these factors, the system can quickly grant appropriate access levels without requiring lengthy approval processes, thus maintaining both security and efficiency.
4Measurement precision
If comprehensive user attributes and access information are collected for precise authorization, then authorization accuracy is improved, but information processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system collects and processes only the specific subset of user attributes and access information relevant to each authorization decision rather than analyzing all available data. The authorization logic selectively retrieves necessary information based on the application context, user role, and requested resource, reducing processing overhead while maintaining sufficient accuracy for secure decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
An identity and access management system including: a processor; and memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive an API token request for an authorization token to authorize an application function associated with a target API of an application; determine identity information from the API token request; retrieve attributes associated with the identity information; identify the target API and an API function profile associated with the target API for the application function; filter the attributes associated with the identity information based on the API function profile; generate the authorization token according to the filtered attributes; and transmit the authorization token in response to the API token request.