Link-Embedded Access Control Identifiers for Dynamic Enterprise Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprises face challenges in controlling access to sensitive information, including restricting access to a limited set of users, revoking access when user roles change, and applying access control changes due to outdated security policies, often leading to security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Embedding a resource access identifier, such as a random cryptographic token, in a link to a shared computing resource and associating it with a digital rights management (DRM) profile, allowing secure access control by embedding the identifier and DRM profile in information elements like emails or files, enabling only authorized devices to access the resource.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access lists are updated frequently to maintain security, then security reliability is improved, but loss of time and administrative overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the access control identifier from the resource itself and embeds it directly into the link. This separation allows the link to carry its own authentication credentials, eliminating the need for centralized access list management and reducing administrative overhead while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The link becomes self-sufficient by containing the access control identifier within its structure. The link can independently verify access rights without requiring external access list queries, enabling self-service authentication that reduces time-consuming administrative updates.
2Loss of time
If resource owners list more users in access lists to avoid frequent updates, then administrative time is reduced, but security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each link individually authenticated with its own embedded access control identifier. Instead of relying on global access list policies that may be overly permissive, each link has localized security credentials that precisely control access on a per-link basis, eliminating security vulnerabilities from over-granting access.
3Reliability
If IT professionals manage access lists, then technical implementation is ensured, but business process efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables business professionals to self-service access control by automatically generating links with embedded access control identifiers. This eliminates the need for IT professional intervention in routine access granting, significantly improving business process efficiency while maintaining technical reliability through automated security protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the embedded access control identifier in the link) that bridges the gap between business users needing access and IT security requirements. This intermediary enables direct access control without IT involvement, improving efficiency while preserving security through structured identifier validation.
4Device complexity
If traditional access control methods are used, then centralized management is maintained, but adaptability to changing user roles decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making access control identifiers embedded in links dynamically generable and modifiable. When user roles change, new links with updated identifiers can be generated instantly without restructuring centralized access lists, providing high adaptability to changing business requirements while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized identifier formats.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for access control. A particular method receives a resource access identifier associated with a shared computing resource and embeds the resource access identifier into a link to the shared resource. The link to the shared resource is inserted into an information element. An access control scheme is associated with the information element to generate a protected information element, and the protected information element is sent to a destination computing device.