Automated Permission Assignment via User Attribute Similarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In information technology, managing access permissions for users becomes complex as new users are added and existing users change roles frequently, making it difficult to track and update permissions manually, necessitating an automated system for assigning permissions.
Innovation Solution
An automated method and system that determine access permissions by creating a permission matrix and attribute matrix, identifying similar users based on attributes, and generating a permission vector for new users using similarity functions and safety tests to ensure accurate and efficient permission assignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual tracking and updating of user permissions is used, then flexibility in user management is maintained, but complexity and difficulty of tracking permissions increases as users are added and roles change frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically assigns permissions to users by comparing their attributes with those of existing users who have established permission profiles. The automated permission assignment module performs this function without manual intervention, allowing the system to self-manage permission updates as users are added or roles change, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses attribute matrices that store user characteristics as changeable parameters. When user attributes or roles change, the system detects these parameter changes and automatically recalculates permission assignments based on updated attribute comparisons, enabling dynamic adaptation without manual reconfiguration
2Productivity
If automated permission assignment is implemented, then efficiency and accuracy of permission updates improve, but system complexity increases due to matrices and algorithms required
Solution Approach 1:
The automated permission assignment system is divided into distinct functional modules: an attribute matrix module that stores and manages user characteristics, a permission matrix module that defines available permissions, a similarity calculation module that compares user attributes, and an automated assignment module that generates permission assignments. This segmentation allows each module to perform a specific function efficiently while reducing overall system complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Attribute matrices serve as intermediaries between user information and permission assignments. Instead of directly mapping users to permissions, the system uses attribute matrices to represent users and permission matrices to represent rights, with similarity calculations acting as mediators that translate attribute comparisons into permission decisions. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall assignment logic
3Measurement precision
If permissions are assigned based on user similarity, then accuracy of permission assignment improves, but computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes attribute matrices for all users and pre-defines permission matrices with available permissions. When a new user is added or an existing user's role changes, the system can quickly perform similarity comparisons against these pre-prepared matrices rather than creating assignments from scratch, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining assignment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system calculates similarity between users based on relevant attributes rather than comparing all possible user characteristics. By focusing on the most significant attributes for permission determination, the system achieves sufficiently accurate permission assignments with reduced computational effort and faster processing
Data Source
AI summary
Given a new user U or a user whose role in the organization changed, an automated method of the present disclosure in one aspect determines the new or revised access permissions the user should have. In one aspect, the method of the present disclosure automatically determines access rights based on the access rights held by similar users. This general idea, including a formalization of similarity between users, the details of how access rights are determined, and an algorithm to test if the presented methods are safe to use are provided.