Policy Server for Rights-Protected Content Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content distribution systems face complexity in managing and securing rights-protected content, especially in enterprise environments, where ease of use and security are compromised when dealing with sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
A content distribution mechanism that receives rights-protected content and requests access rights for recipients not initially authorized, communicating with a policy server to grant or deny access, ensuring secure and controlled distribution while maintaining user permissions and encryption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rights-protected content is encrypted using complex encryption algorithms to enhance security, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to credential management complexity
Solution Approach 1:
A policy server acts as an intermediary between users and rights-protected content, automatically managing complex credential verification and encryption/decryption processes. The server receives decryption key requests, validates user credentials against stored policies, and automatically provides decryption keys to authorized users without requiring manual credential management
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automated self-service credential management where the policy server autonomously verifies user credentials, determines authorization status based on stored policies, and provides decryption keys without human intervention. Users simply present their credentials and the system automatically handles the complex authentication and key distribution
2Reliability
If a policy server is introduced to manage access rights for rights-protected content, then security is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional system components
Solution Approach 1:
The policy server performs multiple functions within a single system component: storing encryption policies, verifying user credentials, determining authorization status, and distributing decryption keys. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges policy management, credential verification, and key distribution functions into a unified policy server architecture. The server combines policy storage, authentication logic, and encryption key management into a single integrated component that handles the complete access control workflow
3Reliability
If access rights are restricted to a limited number of authorized users, then security is improved, but productivity decreases due to limited content distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic access control where authorization status is not fixed but can change over time. The policy server can grant or revoke access rights based on current policies, allowing flexible adaptation to changing security requirements while maintaining efficient content distribution to currently authorized users
Solution Approach 2:
Authorization policies are pre-configured and stored on the policy server before content distribution occurs. This preliminary setup of access rules allows the system to quickly evaluate and process distribution requests without ad-hoc authorization decisions, improving distribution efficiency while maintaining security
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of a method and system for a content distribution mechanism. A content distribution mechanism is implemented to receive rights-protected content. Access to the rights-protected content is controlled according to a policy via a policy server. The distribution mechanism may receive an attempt to forward the rights-protected content to one or more recipients that do not currently have access to the rights-protected content. The distribution mechanism may hold the document and send a message requesting access rights to the rights-protected content for the recipient(s). In some embodiments, the distribution mechanism may send the message to a policy server. In other embodiments, the distribution mechanism may send the message to a policy administrator. Upon receiving acknowledgement that the recipient(s) have been granted access rights to the content, the distribution mechanism may forward the rights-protected content to the recipient(s).