Unified Key-Based Authorization for Programmatic Clients
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing programmatic access APIs and protocols, such as SOAP and REST, lack efficient and secure authorization mechanisms for programmatic clients, leading to resource wastage and potential security vulnerabilities due to the need for multiple credentials and inadequate role-based authorization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Unified Key-based Access Control Management Service (UKAMS) that generates, manages, and verifies unique programmatic interface keys for client applications, allowing authorization based on activity data and target resources, thereby integrating authentication and authorization using a single key.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional user-based authentication protocols (user identifier and password) are used for programmatic clients, then security authorization can be established, but resource wastage increases and security vulnerabilities arise due to managing multiple credentials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges authentication and authorization into a unified key-based system. Instead of separately managing user identifiers and passwords, the invention uses a single programmatic key that serves both authentication (identifying the client) and authorization (defining access permissions) functions, thereby eliminating the need to manage multiple credentials for programmatic clients
Solution Approach 2:
The programmatic key serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as an authenticator to identify the client application, an authorizer to define access permissions to specific resources, and a selector to determine which user context the client operates under. This multi-functional approach replaces the traditional multi-credential system
2Reliability
If traditional user-based authentication protocols are used for programmatic clients, then security authorization can be established, but security vulnerabilities increase due to attacks on credential databases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges authentication and authorization into a unified key-based system. Instead of separately managing user identifiers and passwords, the invention uses a single programmatic key that serves both authentication (identifying the client) and authorization (defining access permissions) functions, thereby eliminating the need to manage multiple credentials for programmatic clients
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the credential management system for programmatic clients from the traditional user-based authentication system. By creating a separate key-based authorization mechanism specifically for programmatic clients, the system removes programmatic credentials from the user credential database, thereby eliminating the security vulnerability of attacking a unified credential database
3Productivity
If broad role-based authorization is granted to programmatic clients to minimize authorization checks, then processing efficiency improves, but security exposure increases due to excessive access permissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making authorization permissions specific to each programmatic client's actual needs rather than using broad general-purpose roles. Each key is configured with precise permissions for specific resources and operations that the client application requires, providing fine-grained control that matches the actual access patterns of each client
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments authorization permissions into specific, granular units tied to individual resources and operations. Instead of granting broad role-based access, the system divides permissions into discrete units that can be selectively assigned to each programmatic client based on their specific functional requirements
4Reliability
If user identifier and password credentials are managed for each programmatic client, then authentication can be performed, but device complexity increases due to managing extra credentials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges authentication and authorization into a unified key-based system. Instead of separately managing user identifiers and passwords, the invention uses a single programmatic key that serves both authentication (identifying the client) and authorization (defining access permissions) functions, thereby eliminating the need to manage multiple credentials for programmatic clients
Data Source
AI summary
Key based authorization for programmatic clients is described. One or more server computers receive a request for an action on one or more target resources, the request indicating the action to be performed on the one or more target resources at the resource access point, and a key identifying a client program running on a client computer system. A data store that stores mapping data representing one or more associations among keys, actions and target resources is queried. An existence, in the data store, of an association of a particular key corresponding to a particular client program, with a particular target resource and with a particular action associated with the particular target, represents the particular client program having authorization to perform the particular action on the particular target resource. The system authorizes performance of the action on the one or more target resources for the request.