Authenticated Session Trust Monitoring With Mid-Session Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to assess the ongoing security and authenticity of users or user devices during authenticated sessions, leaving secure websites vulnerable to risks as they do not monitor changes in the trust profile of users or devices after initial authentication.
Innovation Solution
A system that continuously monitors the trust level of users and devices during authenticated sessions, using security agents to detect changes in security posture and sends enforcement signals to adjust permissions or terminate sessions if trust levels fall below a threshold, with features like alerting users to security events and allowing reauthentication after issues are resolved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication is used at the beginning of a secure session, then user authentication is achieved, but ongoing security assessment during the session is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors device security posture during authenticated sessions and provides feedback by sending notifications to the remote device when trust level changes occur. This enables ongoing security assessment without requiring complex real-time intervention mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary security assessments at the beginning of sessions and continues monitoring during sessions by evaluating device posture changes. This staged approach allows comprehensive security assessment while managing complexity through sequential evaluation rather than continuous complex monitoring.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring of trust level is implemented, then security posture changes are detected, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The remote device autonomously monitors its own security posture and determines when trust level changes occur without requiring constant server intervention. The device self-evaluates its security state and initiates appropriate responses, reducing the complexity of centralized monitoring while maintaining reliable trust level monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors device security posture at periodic intervals rather than continuously, evaluating changes in trust level at discrete points in time. This periodic monitoring approach achieves reliable security assessment while significantly reducing system complexity compared to continuous real-time monitoring.
3Reliability
If enforcement signals are sent to adjust permissions, then unauthorized access is prevented, but user convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts access permissions based on real-time trust level changes during sessions. When security posture deteriorates, permissions are reduced to prevent unauthorized access. When trust is restored, permissions are automatically renewed, providing adaptive security that balances protection with user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to users through notifications when trust level changes occur, allowing users to understand and respond to security changes. This feedback mechanism enables users to maintain convenience by being informed of security status changes rather than experiencing uninterrupted access restrictions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology provides for receiving communications at an authentication service, and the communication is indicative of a change in a security posture of an authenticated session between a user device and a secure service. The authentication service can then determine that the change in the security posture of the authenticated session impacts the trust level associated with the user device and causes the trust level to fall below the threshold. The authentication service can then send an enforcement signal to a security agent on a network device that provides remedial actions that a user can undertake to improve the security posture of the authenticated session.