Zero-Trust Access Visualization with Identity, Hardware and Software Scores
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Solution Overview
Problem
In zero-trust computing environments, there is a need for efficient and dynamic access control mechanisms that continuously validate user and resource interactions to ensure secure access to protected resources while adapting to changing risk profiles.
Innovation Solution
A trust scoring framework is implemented to visualize and evaluate access requests by calculating identity, hardware, and software tenant trust scores, which are displayed and used to make access decisions based on policies, allowing users to confirm or reject these decisions, thereby adjusting trust scores and ensuring secure access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous validation of access requests is implemented in a zero-trust environment, then security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access validation system is segmented into separate trust score components (identity trust score, hardware trust score, software trust score), each evaluating specific aspects of the requestor independently. This segmentation allows the complex continuous validation process to be broken down into manageable modules that can be processed in parallel and combined to form the final access decision.
Solution Approach 2:
A trust score calculation system acts as an intermediary between the access request and the final access decision. The trust scores serve as intermediate representations that summarize the security posture of requestors, hardware, and software, providing a simplified mechanism for continuous validation without directly exposing the complexity of the underlying validation logic.
2Measurement precision
If multiple trust scores are calculated and visualized for each access request, then access control precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Trust scores for identity, hardware, and software are calculated in advance and stored in records before access requests occur. When a request is made, these pre-calculated scores are retrieved and combined to form the final trust assessment, eliminating the need to recalculate all trust scores from scratch for each request and significantly reducing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual representations and records of trust scores that can be quickly referenced and displayed without performing the full calculation process again. These copies of the trust assessment data allow for rapid retrieval and presentation while the actual trust score calculations are performed only when necessary or updated periodically.
3Adaptability or versatility
If user confirmation interface is added to access decisions, then user control is improved, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The confirmation interface is designed to present only the essential information needed for user decision-making (trust score visualizations and key policy criteria) rather than overwhelming users with complete system details. This partial presentation maintains user control and adaptability while keeping the interface simple and easy to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback to users through trust score visualizations that clearly indicate the current trust levels and policy decisions. This feedback mechanism enables users to understand the access control rationale and make informed confirmation or rejection decisions without requiring complex interaction or deep system knowledge, thereby maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods provide a visualization for use in configuring controlled access to resources in a zero-trust computing environment. A request from a user for access to a resource of the zero-trust environment is received. When visualization of the request is enabled, a visualization of the request is initiated. An identity tenant trust score for the resource is calculated based on a record of users requesting access to the first resource. A hardware tenant trust score is calculated based on a record of hardware requesting access to the resource. A software tenant trust score is calculated based on a record of software requesting access to the resource. The visualization that is generated displays the identity tenant trust score, the hardware tenant trust score and the software tenant trust score associated with the request.