Policy Evaluation Mode for Access Control Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current access control systems face issues with sudden denials of user or service requests due to policy changes, leading to API outages and system latency, as they do not adequately manage transitions and adjustments of identities losing access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a policy evaluation mode that temporarily allows access for identities that have recently lost access due to policy changes, generating a test policy and logs to manage transitions, and removing the policy evaluation mode after a threshold period to prevent denials and reduce latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access control policies are changed immediately to revoke access from identities that no longer should have access, then security is improved, but system stability deteriorates due to API outages and downstream consequences
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by creating a test policy before fully implementing the access control change. This test policy is evaluated in a simulation environment to predict potential system impacts before the actual policy is enforced, allowing administrators to prepare mitigation strategies in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements beforehand cushioning by establishing a rollback mechanism and monitoring system before enforcing the access control policy change. If adverse effects are detected during the transition period, the system can automatically or manually revert to the previous policy state, cushioning the system against complete failure.
2Manufacturing precision
If access control policies are changed immediately to revoke access, then access control accuracy is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to system latency and API outages
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by implementing a phased rollout strategy where the access control policy change is not enforced all at once but gradually across different service domains. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changes incrementally, maintaining productivity while improving access control accuracy over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary evaluation layer between the access control policy and actual resource access. This intermediary simulates policy evaluation and provides recommendations without immediately blocking access, allowing systems to adjust and maintain productivity while transitioning to more accurate access control.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a test policy is created and evaluated in simulation mode, then system stability is improved by preventing sudden denials, but device complexity increases due to additional policy management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a copy of the access control policy in a test version for simulation evaluation. This copying approach allows the system to evaluate potential changes without modifying the actual production policy, maintaining stability while managing complexity through reusable policy templates.
Solution Approach 2:
The policy evaluation system is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a simulation environment for testing and as a recommendation engine for policy optimization. This universal system handles multiple tasks (testing, evaluation, recommendation, gradual rollout) within a single framework, reducing overall complexity despite the added capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media for managing access control. Consistent with these embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to access a resource, determining one or more access control policies that correspond to an access to the resource; identifying an access control policy that allows the identity to access the resource, determining, that the identified access control policy is associated with a policy evaluation mode, and authorizing the request based on the access control policy.