Least-Privilege Permission Profiles via Iterative Vector Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing the principle of least privilege in modern computing platforms, especially cloud-based systems, is challenging due to the complexity of permissions, and existing solutions struggle when usage data is missing or incomplete, leading to vulnerabilities in network security.
Innovation Solution
An iterative process to develop least-privilege profiles for network entities by evaluating permission vectors based on their sufficiency, number of entries, similarity to approved vectors, and other predefined rules, iteratively reducing permissions until a termination condition is met, thereby identifying a minimal valid set of permissions without relying on incomplete usage data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If existing solutions analyze usage data to extract least privilege permissions, then permission management can be automated, but the solutions fail when usage data is missing or incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting usage data over time and pre-computing least privilege permission sets before security incidents occur. This allows the system to have ready-made, validated permission configurations that don't depend on complete real-time usage data, resolving the contradiction between automation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where permission assignments are continuously monitored and evaluated. When usage patterns are observed or when permission effectiveness is measured, the system adjusts and refines the least privilege permission sets, ensuring reliability even when initial usage data is incomplete.
2Ease of operation
If strong privileged credentials are granted to users for resource access, then users can perform necessary actions, but the resources become vulnerable to security breaches
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by assigning different permission levels to different users and resources based on specific needs. Instead of uniform privileged access, each user receives precisely the minimum permissions required for their specific tasks, eliminating unnecessary vulnerability while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes permission parameters based on user identity, resource type, and task requirements. By adjusting the scope and level of permissions as parameters rather than granting fixed strong credentials, the system maintains ease of operation while reducing security vulnerability.
3Reliability
If the principle of least privilege is implemented in modern computing platforms, then network security is enhanced, but the complexity of managing large amounts of permissions makes it impractical for human IT managers
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically generating, assigning, and managing least privilege permission sets without human intervention. The automated system monitors usage patterns and adjusts permissions autonomously, maintaining high security while eliminating the management complexity that makes the principle impractical for human IT managers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses strong algorithmic processes and automated analysis tools that rapidly process and evaluate permission configurations. This accelerated computational approach handles the complexity of large permission sets efficiently, maintaining security enhancements while removing the manual management burden.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments relate to iteratively developing profiles for network entities. Operations may include accessing a set of permissions associated with a network entity; obtaining a set of permission vectors for the network entity based on the set of permissions; evaluating each permission vector within the set of permission vectors for iteratively developing a profile for the network entity, the evaluation being based on at least: whether each permission vector within the set of permission vectors provides sufficient privileges for the network entity to perform an action, and a predefined rule; creating a new set of permission vectors for the network entity based on at least the selected group of the set of permission vectors; iterating the evaluation for the new set of permission vectors; determining whether an iteration termination condition has been met; and terminating the iteration based on the iteration termination condition being met.