Micro and macro trust in a decentralized environment

• US 8,578,445 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wouhaybi, Rita H., Vicente, John B., Li, Hong C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US13/587,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes calculating a trust level of a first entity. The first entity has a plurality of components. Each component in the first entity has at least the trust level of the first entity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

interfacing, by a first local component of a local computing device entity, with an external computing device entity;

receiving, by the first local component, a list of components from the external computing device entity, the list of components comprising one or more components of the external computing device entity;

calculating, by the first local component, a first trust level between the local computing device entity and the external computing device entity;

setting, by the first local component, a second trust level for each of the components of the external computing device entity equal to the first trust level;

determining, by a second local component of the local computing device entity, a third trust level between the second local component of the local computing device entity and a component of the external computing device entity as a function of the second trust level set for the component of the external computing device entity;

determining, by the second local component of the local computing device entity, a fourth trust level between the second local component of the local computing device entity and another component of the external computing device entity as a function of the second trust level set for the another component of the external computing device entity; and

determining, by the second local component, whether to communicate with the component of the external computing device entity or the another component of the external computing device entity as a function of the third and fourth trust levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the list of components from the external computing device entity comprises receiving a list of components from the external computing device entity in response to initially interfacing with the external computing device entity by the first local component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dictating, by the first local component, the third trust level to the second local component, and

wherein determining, by the second local component of the local computing device entity, a third trust level comprises adopting the third trust level dictated by the first local component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by the second local component, the third trust level from the first local component; and

receiving, by the second local component, the third trust level from the first local component, and

wherein determining, by the second local component of the local computing device entity, a third trust level comprises adopting the third trust level received from the first local component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, by the first local component, an individual trust level for each of the components of the external computing device entity;

determining, by the first local component, whether each of the individual trust levels for each of the components of the external computing device entity is higher than the second trust level; and

re-calculating, by the first local component, the first trust level between the local computing device entity and the external computing device entity in response to determining that each of the individual trust levels is higher than the second trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising an increased first trust level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein setting the second trust level for each of the components of the external computing device entity comprises re-setting the second trust level for each of the components of the external computing device entity in response to the first trust level being re-calculated.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, by the first local component, an individual trust level for each of the components of the external computing device entity;

determining, by the first local component, whether one or more of the individual trust levels for each of the components of the external computing device entity is lower than the second trust level; and

re-calculating, by the first local component, the first trust level between the local computing device entity and the external computing device entity in response to determining that one or more of the individual trust levels is lower than the second trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising a decreased first trust level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising warning, by the first local component of the local computing device entity, the component of the external computing device entity of an attack received from a different component of a different external computing device entity.

9. A local computing device comprising:

a first local component to;

interface with an external computing device,

receive a list of components from the external computing device, the list of components comprising one or more components of the external computing device,

calculate a first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device, and

set a second trust level for each of the components of the external computing device equal to the first trust level; and

a second local component to;

determine a third trust level between the second local component of the local computing device and a component of the external computing device as a function of the second trust level set for the component of the external computing device,

determine a fourth trust level between the second local component of the local computing device and another component of the external computing device as a function of the second trust level set for the another component of the external computing device, and

determine whether to communicate with the component of the external computing device or the another component of the external computing device as a function of the third and fourth trust levels.

10. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein to receive the list of components from the external computing device comprises to receive a list of components from the external computing device in response to an initial interface with the external computing device by the first local component.

11. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component further to dictate the third trust level to the second local component, and

wherein to determine the third trust level comprises to adopt the third trust level dictated by the first local component.

12. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the second local component further to:

request the third trust level from the first local component; and

receive the third trust level from the first local component, and

wherein to determine the third trust level comprises to adopt the third trust level received from the first local component.

13. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component further to:

calculate an individual trust level for each of the components of the external computing device;

determine whether each of the individual trust levels for each of the components of the external computing device is higher than the second trust level; and

re-calculate the first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device in response to determining that each of the individual trust levels is higher than the second trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising an increased first trust level.

14. The local computing device of claim 13, wherein to set the second trust level for each of the components of the external computing device comprises to re-set the second trust level for each of the components of the external computing device in response to the first trust level being re-calculated.

15. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component further to:

calculate an individual trust level for each of the components of the external computing device;

determine whether one or more of the individual trust levels for each of the components of the external computing device is lower than the second trust level; and

re-calculate the first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device in response to determining that one or more of the individual trust levels is lower than the second trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising a decreased first trust level.

16. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component of the local computing device further to warn the component of the external computing device of an attack received from a different component of a different external computing device.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that in response to being executed by a local computing device, cause the local computing device to:

interface, by a first local component of the local computing device, with an external computing device;

receive, by the first local component, a list of components from the external computing device, the list of components comprising one or more components of the external computing device;

calculate, by the first local component, a first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device;

set, by the first local component, a second trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device equal to the first trust level;

determine, by a second local component of the local computing device, a third trust level between the second local component of the local computing device and a component of the external computing device as a function of the second trust level set for the component of the external computing device;

determine, by the second local component of the local computing device, a fourth trust level between the second local component of the local computing device and another component of the external computing device as a function of the second trust level set for the another component of the external computing device; and

determine, by the second local component, whether to communicate with the component of the external computing device or the another component of the external computing device as a function of the third and fourth trust levels.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the local computing device to dictate, by the first local component, the third trust level to the second local component, and

wherein determine, by a second local component of the local computing device, a third trust level comprising adopting the third trust level dictated by the first local component.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the local computing device to:

calculate, by the first local component, an individual trust level for each of the components of the external computing device;

determine, by the first local component, whether each of the individual trust levels for each of the components of the external computing device is higher than the second trust level; and

re-calculate, by the first local component, the first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device in response to determining that each of the individual trust levels is higher than the second trust level.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the local computing device to warn, by the first local component of the local computing device, the component of the external computing device of an attack received from a different component of a different external computing device.