User-Regulated Account Linking for Business Entitlement Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in balancing security and usability when managing access to features controlled by business entitlement objects (BEOs), as they often require either increased operational costs or compromised security due to the need for manual validation and restrictive linking conditions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of user-regulated linking, where primary users define secondary user conditions allowing secondary users to link their accounts to BEOs, enabling self-regulation of access while minimizing provider involvement and optimizing security and usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual validation and restrictive linking conditions are implemented to improve security, then security is improved, but operational cost increases and usability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to autonomously link their accounts to BEOs by having them generate and share cryptographic keys directly with potential secondary users. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for provider-mediated validation, allowing users to independently manage access while maintaining security through cryptographic verification. The primary user controls which secondary users can access the BEO by managing key distribution, thus improving usability without compromising security.
2Reliability
If manual validation and restrictive linking conditions are implemented to improve security, then security is improved, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual provider validation with a cryptographic system. Instead of providers manually verifying and managing user links to BEOs, the system uses public-key cryptography where users generate key pairs and share public keys for authentication. This substitution eliminates the need for costly manual validation processes while maintaining security through cryptographic verification, thereby reducing operational costs without sacrificing security.
3Ease of operation
If easy access is provided to improve usability, then usability is improved, but security deteriorates due to illegitimate access
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces cryptographic keys as an intermediary mechanism between users and BEOs. Instead of direct provider-mediated access control, users exchange cryptographic keys that serve as secure intermediaries for authentication. The primary user's public key acts as a mediator that verifies the identity of secondary users attempting to access the BEO, enabling easy self-service access while maintaining security through cryptographic verification rather than restrictive provider controls.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises a business entitlement object, a primary account associated with a first user, wherein the primary account is linked to the business entitlement object, a secondary user condition defined by the first user, and a first secondary account, wherein a second user links the first secondary account to the business entitlement object according to the secondary user condition.