Zero-Trust Resource Access with Dynamic Trust Score Policies
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Solution Overview
Problem
In zero-trust computing environments, existing systems lack effective mechanisms to dynamically manage and adjust access control policies based on real-time trust assessments of users, hardware components, software applications, and networks, leading to inefficiencies and potential security vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A trust scoring framework is implemented to track access requests, calculate trust scores based on user, hardware, software, and network interactions, and adjust these scores based on grant or deny decisions, using policies to determine access to resources, thereby continuously validating and adapting to changing risk profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional access control systems are used in zero-trust environments, then implementation is simpler, but security effectiveness deteriorates due to inability to dynamically adjust policies based on real-time trust assessments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control policies that automatically adjust based on real-time trust scores. The system continuously monitors user behavior, hardware status, software integrity, and network conditions, then dynamically modifies access permissions without requiring manual policy updates. This resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptive rather than static, improving security effectiveness while the automated nature manages complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a closed-loop feedback mechanism where access decisions are continuously evaluated and trust scores are recalculated based on observed outcomes. When access is granted or denied, the system monitors the results and adjusts future trust assessments accordingly. This feedback loop enables the system to learn from experience and improve security effectiveness over time while automating the complexity management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If static access control policies are implemented, then policy management is easier, but adaptability to changing risk profiles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service automation where the access control mechanism automatically calculates trust scores, evaluates policies, and makes access decisions without human intervention. The system monitors its own performance and adjusts trust assessments based on observed patterns, enabling adaptability to changing risk profiles while eliminating the operational burden of manual policy management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter from static binary access decisions to dynamic multi-factor trust scores. By introducing continuous variables (trust scores calculated from multiple factors including user behavior, hardware status, software integrity, and network conditions) instead of fixed permissions, the system achieves adaptability while the automated calculation manages the complexity of parameter management.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive trust scoring is implemented across multiple factors, then security assessment accuracy improves, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the comprehensive trust assessment into distinct modular components: user behavior analysis, hardware status evaluation, software integrity verification, and network condition monitoring. Each component independently calculates a partial trust score, which are then aggregated into an overall trust assessment. This segmentation improves measurement precision by allowing focused analysis of each factor while reducing computational overhead through parallel processing and modular architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for controlling access to resources in a zero-trust computing environment. Requests for access to resources of the zero-trust environment are tracked, including tracking determinations to grant or deny access to resources of the environment. A trust score is calculated for a resource based on users requesting access to the resource, hardware components requesting access to the resource, software applications requesting access to the resource, networks used to request access to the resource and data exposed by providing the requested access to the resource. The trust score of the resource is adjusted upwards based on determinations to grant access to the resource and downwards based on determinations to deny access to the resource. Request for access to the resource are evaluated based on policies of the zero-trust environment that govern access to the resource, based in part on the adjusted trust score of the resource.