Multi-layer system for privacy enforcement and monitoring of suspicious data access behavior

• US 20060259950A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Protegrity USA, Inc. (Xcelera Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Protegrity USA, Inc. (Xcelera Inc.)
• Inventors: Mattsson, Ulf
• Application Number:
  US11/357,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis

Abstract

A method for controlling data access in a data-at-rest system includes executing a link intrusion prevention analysis between multiple layers of the data-at-rest system, introducing a privacy policy at enforcement points that span multiple system layers, and dynamically altering the privacy policy.

Claims

1. A method for controlling data access in a data-at-rest system, the method comprising:

executing a link intrusion prevention analysis between multiple layers of the data-at-rest system;

introducing a privacy policy at enforcement points that span multiple system layers; and

dynamically altering the privacy policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data-at-rest system is a database system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the protection of data at one of the multiple system layers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of modifying is performed based on a result of the link intrusion prevention analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy policy comprises access control information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy policy comprises intrusion detection information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy policy comprises cryptographic information.

8. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A method for controlling access to a database system, the method comprising:

assigning a first access criterion and a second access criterion to a user role;

receiving a query from a user, the user having an access history;

determining that the user matches the user role;

comparing, in a first system layer, the access history to the first access criterion; and

comparing, in a second system layer that differs from the first system layer, the access history to the second access criterion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first access criterion comprises a privacy policy.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising learning a value for the first access criterion.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting a response to the query,

wherein the response is selected from the group consisting of blocking the query, alerting a system administrator and allowing the query, and allowing the query.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting a response to the query comprises selecting a response to the query based on a result of the step of comparing in a first system layer.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 9.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing the counter to a second threshold.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the counter comprises a scorecard.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the counter exceeds a third threshold; and

alerting a system administrator.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in the first system layer, transmitting a notification to the second system layer to deny the second request.

20. A system comprising:

a computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14;

and

a computer in data communication with the computer-readable medium.

15. A method for accessing data, the method comprising:

in a first system layer, receiving a first request from a user, the user having an access history, the access history including a counter;

in the first system layer, comparing the counter to a first threshold; and

transmitting a second request to a second system layer, the second request being based on the first request.