Proxy Server Access Control for Provider Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Provider networks face challenges in preventing unauthorized access to their services, as traditional authentication methods may allow unauthorized users to access sensitive data, leading to security breaches and inefficient use of resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a proxy system that applies client-configured access control rules to authenticate and authorize network traffic requests, blocking unauthorized access and reducing resource usage by routing requests through a proxy that verifies credentials and enforces custom access controls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used to control access to services, then service availability is maintained, but security against unauthorized access is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary component between clients and provider network services. This proxy evaluates access control rules and mediates requests, providing enhanced security without requiring complex changes to the core authentication system. The proxy acts as a gatekeeper that enforces access policies while allowing the existing authentication infrastructure to remain relatively simple.
2Reliability
If access control rules are enforced for all requests, then security is improved, but network bandwidth and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy implementation applies access control evaluation selectively rather than uniformly to all requests. It evaluates access rules for requests that require security verification while allowing other requests to proceed with minimal overhead. This partial application of access control measures provides security where needed without unnecessarily consuming network bandwidth for all traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of access control rules at the proxy level before requests reach the main provider network services. By pre-filtering and pre-evaluating requests at the proxy, the system prevents unauthorized access early in the request flow, avoiding wasteful consumption of resources on the main services for requests that will ultimately be denied.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom access control rules are implemented, then client-specific security needs are met, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access control system is segmented into modular components: the proxy server, access rule evaluation logic, and client-specific policy configurations. This segmentation allows different clients to have customized access control rules without affecting the core system structure. Each client's access policies are handled as separate, manageable units that can be configured independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server provides universal access control functionality that can serve multiple clients with different requirements. The same proxy infrastructure handles access control for various clients by applying client-specific rules, eliminating the need for separate complex systems for each client while still providing customized security policies.
Data Source
AI summary
A provider network implements a proxy to control access to web-based resources of a provider network. The proxy receives requests to access web-based services. The proxy allows access to a web-based service only if user-configured access control rules are satisfied and credentials associated with the web-based service are authenticated. The proxy prevents access to a web-based service if user-configured access control rules are not satisfied or credentials associated with the web-based service are not authenticated. The provider network may also implement a proxy configuration service to set up and launch the proxy. The proxy configuration service receives from the client a specification of the access control rules, configures the proxy based on the access control rules, and launches the proxy.