Enterprise Security Profile Automation via Network Concordance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of enterprise security software installation and management in large networks is time- and cost-prohibitive due to the need for detailed security definitions, user-specific permissions, and the lack of simplified control over security policies, making it difficult for administrators to deploy and maintain effective security configurations.
Innovation Solution
An enterprise security management configuration server that associates IP addresses and classifications with profiles, determining common security policies and automatically grouping nodes based on network concordance data, allowing for simplified security policy deployment and management across the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If enterprise security software is deployed with detailed security definitions, user-specific permissions, and encryption policies for each node, then security reliability is improved, but device complexity and deployment time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the enterprise network into multiple profiles based on node characteristics (IP addresses, classifications, network concordance data). Each profile contains a subset of nodes that share common security requirements, allowing security policies to be applied at the profile level rather than individually to each node. This segmentation reduces the complexity of managing security definitions while maintaining comprehensive security coverage across all nodes.
2Manufacturing precision
If custom provisioning is performed for each endpoint to meet specific security requirements, then security precision is improved, but deployment time and cost increase prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automated profile assignment by evaluating node characteristics (IP addresses, classifications, network concordance data) and automatically adding nodes to appropriate profiles. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual custom provisioning of each endpoint while maintaining precise security configuration matching specific node requirements, dramatically reducing deployment time and cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If network security administrators create and deploy detailed security policies manually, then security adaptability to specific network conditions is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to required substantial knowledge and training
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (the enterprise security management system with automated profile assignment) that bridges the gap between network administrators and complex security policy requirements. The system automatically evaluates node characteristics and assigns nodes to appropriate profiles based on network concordance data, enabling administrators to deploy adaptive security policies without requiring substantial knowledge of network specifics or extensive training.
4Ease of manufacture
If template images are created and customized for each server or endpoint, then ease of manufacture is improved, but productivity remains low due to required custom provisioning for each endpoint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the concepts of templating and custom provisioning by creating profiles that represent templates for groups of nodes with similar characteristics. Instead of creating and customizing template images for each individual endpoint, the system creates profile templates that automatically apply to multiple nodes based on their characteristics, combining the ease of template-based provisioning with the efficiency of bulk deployment.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for configuring a common security policy for a plurality of nodes included within an enterprise network. Example methods can include grouping nodes within profiles based on IP address, in addition to concordance data. Additionally, nodes may be added to profiles based on a classification of the node being common to classifications of nodes within the profile. Still further, profiles may be grouped into a solution based at least in part on classification of the profile, in addition to grouping of profiles into solutions based on affinitization using concordance data. The methods described also include determining a common security policy to apply to each of the nodes within the profile.