Trusted Service Manager for Controlled Shared Account Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is difficult for one client to limit the type of access to a shared web-based service account when credentials are provided to a second client, as the second client may alter the credentials or perform unauthorized actions.
Innovation Solution
A trusted intermediate service manager is used to store credential information and manage access to the account, providing a user interface that enforces access conditions specified by the managing client, limiting access to the account according to predefined rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If credentials are provided to a second client to access a shared account, then access to the account is enabled for the second client, but the second client may alter the credentials or perform unauthorized actions
Solution Approach 1:
A trusted intermediate service manager is introduced as a mediator between the first client and the web-based service. The service manager stores the credentials and acts as an intermediary that authenticates requests from the second client without exposing the actual credentials. This allows the second client to access the account through the service manager while preventing direct credential exposure and unauthorized actions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If credentials are shared between multiple clients, then access to the account is enabled for multiple users, but it becomes difficult to limit the type of access for each client
Solution Approach 1:
The access control mechanism is segmented into distinct components: the trusted intermediate service manager handles authentication and credential management, while individual access conditions are defined separately for each client. This segmentation allows fine-grained control over what each client can access without managing complex credential sharing arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The trusted intermediate service manager serves as a mediator that enforces access conditions between clients and the web-based service. It authenticates clients and controls what actions are permitted, making it easier to manage and limit access types for each user without direct credential sharing.
3Reliability
If a trusted intermediate service manager is used to manage access, then access control and security are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trusted intermediate service manager is positioned as a separate intermediary component that handles security functions. By isolating credential storage and access control logic in this dedicated service manager, the patent achieves improved security without requiring complex integration of security functions throughout the entire system.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing access to a web-based service includes obtaining, by an intermediate service manager and from a managing client, credentials for a managing account associated with the web-based service and an access condition of accessing the web-based service by a second account to the intermediate service manager, obtaining a request, by an accessing client associated with the second account, for accessing the web-based service using the managing account, and based on the request and the access condition, communicating with the web-based service to create a session with the web-based service, and providing access to site data of the session via a user interface and based on the access condition.