Role-Based Access Control for Corporate Email Permissions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current email systems lack the ability to enforce granular permissions on email messages, allowing recipients to perform various actions without control from the sender, which can lead to unintended access or misuse, especially in corporate contexts where sensitive information is shared.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system within email clients and servers that allows senders to specify permissions for email messages, using expressions to define actions that recipients can perform based on their role or rank within an organization, and enforcing these permissions through a set of permission flags.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional email systems are used without permission control, then ease of operation is improved, but security and data protection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments email access control into granular permission types (read, forward, delete, print, etc.) that can be independently controlled. Each permission is a separate controllable unit, allowing senders to selectively grant or restrict specific actions while maintaining overall system ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces permission metadata as an intermediary layer between the email message and the recipient's actions. This intermediary structure carries permission information through the email system, enabling security control without fundamentally changing the underlying email protocol or user interface.
2Reliability
If granular permission control is implemented, then email security is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal permission framework that works across different email clients and servers through standard metadata tags. The same permission structure can control multiple types of email actions (reading, forwarding, deleting, printing) uniformly, reducing the need for separate control mechanisms for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of email messages by adding permission parameters/metadata to the message structure. These parameters modify the behavior of email clients and servers without changing the fundamental email protocol, allowing security control through parameter addition rather than system restructuring.
3Reliability
If permission metadata is added to email messages, then data protection is improved, but loss of information worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies permission controls preliminarily at the time of message creation or before message transmission. The sender defines permissions in advance, and these permissions are attached to the message metadata. This preliminary action ensures data protection is established before the message enters the email system, preventing unauthorized access from the outset.
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprising: receiving, by a first email client, an input specifying one or more permissions that are associated with an email message, any of the permissions being associated with a corresponding action, any of the permissions indicating whether a recipient of the email message is permitted to perform the permission's corresponding action on the email message; and transmitting, by the first email client, the email message and the one or more permissions to an email server.