Network Access Node Trust Scoring for Policy Violation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Networks lack information about devices' previous policy violations, allowing malicious devices to jump between networks and commit violations, as existing identity federations like OpenRoaming do not provide sufficient trust information to local networks.
Innovation Solution
An access node receives trust information about a device from an identity provider after authentication, using this information to determine whether to grant or deny access based on previous network policy violations, including a score representing the device's trust level, thereby preventing malicious activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If identity federations allow devices to connect to multiple networks, then device mobility is improved, but networks receive little to no information about device history and policy violations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an identity provider as an intermediary component within the identity federation architecture. This intermediary maintains a database of device trust information and policy violation history, and provides this information to local access nodes during authentication. The identity provider mediates between the mobile device and local networks, enabling information sharing without compromising device mobility or requiring changes to the core identity federation protocol.
2Reliability
If networks deny access to devices with policy violations, then network security is improved, but legitimate devices may be unfairly blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a trust score system that transforms the binary access decision (allow/deny) into a gradient-based decision using trust score thresholds. Instead of simply blocking all devices with violation history, the system adjusts the trust score parameter based on the severity, recency, and frequency of violations. Access nodes compare the device's trust score against configurable thresholds to make informed decisions, allowing fine-grained control that reduces false positives while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where access nodes report policy violations to the identity provider, which updates the device's trust score in its database. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from actual network behavior and adjust future access decisions accordingly. The feedback loop enables continuous improvement of security decisions while allowing devices with improved behavior to regain trust over time.
3Measurement precision
If access nodes implement trust scoring, then access control accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The identity provider serves as a centralized intermediary that handles all trust score calculations and maintenance. Access nodes simply query the identity provider for a device's trust score during authentication, rather than implementing complex scoring algorithms themselves. This distribution of complexity reduces the burden on individual access nodes while maintaining high measurement precision through centralized trust evaluation.
4Reliability
If networks share trust information between networks, then prevention of malicious activity is improved, but information privacy concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The identity provider acts as a privacy-preserving intermediary that collects, stores, and shares trust information. Local access nodes do not directly access or store detailed violation histories; instead, they query the identity provider for summarized trust scores. This intermediary architecture enables malicious activity prevention through information sharing while maintaining privacy by centralizing data storage and controlling exactly what information is shared between networks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving, at an access node of a local network, a connection request from a device and in response to the connection request, establishing a connection with an identity provider. The device, the access node, the local network, and the identity provider are members of an identity federation. The method further includes receiving an indication that the device previously violated a network policy of a network different from the local network and after the device is authenticated with the identity provider, determining, by the access node and based on the indication, whether to allow the device to communicate over the access node.