Tiered Support Access Authentication for Technician Consoles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computing support systems face challenges in securely verifying the identity and authorization level of users requesting technical support, as malicious actors can exploit human technicians to bypass security protocols, posing a risk to computing systems and data integrity.
Innovation Solution
A computing support system that programmatically manages support access through a technician console, using multi-factor authentication and support control services to enforce authentication levels and restrict access based on verified identities and authorization, leveraging NFTs and blockchain for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-factor authentication and programmatic access management are implemented, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but system complexity and authentication time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication challenges and authorization determinations before granting support access. The computing support system issues authentication challenges to the user's computing device, verifies responses, and determines authorization levels in advance, ensuring security measures are in place before any support actions can be performed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication and authorization system between the user and the support technician. This intermediary computing support system manages the authentication challenges, verifies responses, determines authorization levels, and enforces access controls, separating the security management function from both the user and technician.
2Reliability
If authentication challenges are issued to verify user identity, then security against malicious callers is improved, but support processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a tiered authentication approach where the level of authentication challenge corresponds to the authorization level required. For lower-risk support scenarios, simpler authentication may suffice, while higher-risk operations trigger more stringent verification processes, avoiding unnecessary authentication overhead for routine tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts authentication parameters based on the determined authorization level. The computing support system selects from multiple levels of authentication based on the support access level required, adapting the verification process to the specific risk and necessity of each support interaction.
3Reliability
If programmatic enforcement of support access limits is implemented, then protection against unauthorized support actions is improved, but ease of operation for technicians deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines authorization levels and enforces access controls without requiring manual intervention from technicians. The computing support system programmatically manages support access based on the verified user identity and authorization level, automatically enabling or disabling specific support functions rather than requiring technician judgment.
4Reliability
If multiple levels of support access are granted based on user authorization, then security against insider threats is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments support access into multiple distinct authorization levels, each with specific permitted actions. The computing support system determines the user's authorization level and accordingly enables or disables specific support functions, creating a segmented access control model where different user roles receive different levels of access based on their authorization.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing support system is configured to programmatically manage support access to a computing system via a support technician console across multiple levels of support access. The system receives a request to authenticate a user requesting support for the computing system, issues one or more authentication challenges to the user to authenticate the identity of the user, receives one or more corresponding authentication challenge responses from the user based on the authentication challenge, and verifies a level of authentication based on the authentication challenge response, the level of authentication being selected from multiple levels of authentication. The system also determines a level of support access to the computing system based on the verified level of authentication and the identity of the user and programmatically enforces limits on the support access to the computing system via the support technician console based on the determined level of support access.