Method and apparatus for token-based reassignment of privileges

• US 8,752,143 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Radhakrishnan, Rakesh, Frick, Cynthia Ann, Marian, Radu, Barbir, Abdulkader Omar, Badhwar, Rajat P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US13/210,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20130047215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 10, 726 26- 30, 713164-167
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1076 Revocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an apparatus may monitor a session that facilitates a user'"'"'s access to a resource. The user may be granted a privilege associated with accessing the resource. The apparatus may detect a change associated with the privilege granted to the user in at least one token of a plurality of tokens. The apparatus may then communicate a token that represents the change, and receive a risk token associated with the token. The apparatus may then determine to revoke the privilege based on the risk token, and generate a second token that represents the determination to revoke the privilege. The apparatus may then communicate the second token to facilitate the revoking of the privilege.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a:

a memory operable to store a plurality of tokens comprising a first risk token; and

a hardware processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to;

monitor a session, wherein the session facilitates a user'"'"'s access to a resource, the user granted a privilege associated with accessing the resource based at least in part upon the first risk token;

detect a change in at least one token of the plurality of tokens during the session, the change associated with the privilege granted to the user;

communicate the first risk token and a token associated with the change;

receive a second risk token associated with the first risk token and the token, wherein the second risk token indicates an increased risk associated with the change;

determine to revoke the privilege based on the second risk token;

generate a second token associated with the determination to revoke the privilege based at least in part upon the second risk token;

communicate the second token to facilitate the revoking of the privilege;

determine, based on a token-based rule, to grant a new privilege based on the second risk token, wherein the second token is further associated with the determination to grant the new privilege, and wherein communicating the second token facilitates the granting of the new privilege;

determine that a form of authentication associated with the session has been performed;

determine, based at least in part upon the determination that the form of authentication has been performed, that the revoked privilege should be granted;

generate a third token associated with the determination to grant the revoked privileged; and

communicate the third token to facilitate the granting of the revoked privilege.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the user is granted a set of privileges associated with accessing the resource; and

the second token is associated with a new set of privileges formed by removing the revoked privilege from the set of privileges.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the processor further operable to determine, based on a token-based rule, to grant a new privilege based on the second risk token, wherein the new set of privileges is formed by further adding the new privilege to the set of privileges.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tokens further comprises at least one of a subject token, a resource token, and a network token and the change during the session occurs in at least one token of the plurality of tokens.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second token is communicated to a resource provider.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination to revoke the privilege is based on a token-based rule.

7. A method for privilege-based access control in a token-based environment, comprising:

monitoring a session, wherein the session facilitates a user'"'"'s access to a resource, the user granted a privilege associated with accessing the resource based at least in part upon a first risk token;

detecting a change in at least one token of a plurality of tokens during the session, the change associated with the privilege granted to the user;

communicating the first risk token and a token associated with the change;

receiving a second risk token associated with the first risk token the token, wherein the second risk token indicates an increased risk associated with the change;

determining, by a hardware processor, to revoke the privilege based on the second risk token;

generating, by the processor, a second token associated with the determination to revoke the privilege based at least in part upon the second risk token; and

communicating the second token to facilitate the revoking of the privilege;

determining, by the processor, based on a token-based rule, to grant a new privilege based on the second risk token, wherein the second token is further associated with the determination to grant the new privilege, and wherein communicating the second token facilitates the granting of the new privilege;

determining, by the processor, that a form of authentication associated with the session has been performed;

determining, by the processor, based at least in part upon the determination that the form of authentication has been performed, that the revoked privilege should be granted;

generating a third token associated with the determination to grant the revoked privileged; and

communicating the third token to facilitate the granting of the revoked privilege.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the user is granted a set of privileges associated with accessing the resource; and

the second token is associated with a new set of privileges formed by removing the revoked privilege from the set of privileges.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining, by the processor, based on a token-based rule, to grant a new privilege based on the second risk token, wherein the new set of privileges is formed by further adding the new privilege to the set of privileges.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of tokens comprises at least one of a subject token, a resource token, and a network token and the change during the session occurs in at least one token of the plurality of tokens.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the second token is communicated to a resource provider.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the determination to revoke the privilege is based on a token-based rule.

13. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

monitor a session, wherein the session facilitates a user'"'"'s access to a resource, the user granted a privilege associated with accessing the resource based at least in part upon a first risk token;

detect a change in at least one token of a plurality of tokens during the session, the change associated with the privilege granted to the user;

communicate the first risk token and a token associated with the change;

receive a second risk token associated with the first risk token and the token, wherein the second risk token indicates an increased risk associated with the change;

determine to revoke the privilege based on the second risk token;

generate a second token associated with the determination to revoke the privilege based at least in part upon the second risk token; and

communicate the second token to facilitate the revoking of the privilege;

determine, based on a token-based rule, to grant a new privilege based on the second risk token, wherein the second token is further associated with the determination to grant the new privilege, and wherein communicating the second token facilitates the granting of the new privilege;

determine that a form of authentication associated with the session has been performed;

determine, based at least in part upon the determination that the form of authentication has been performed, that the revoked privilege should be granted;

generate a third token associated with the determination to grant the revoked privileged; and

communicate the third token to facilitate the granting of the revoked privilege.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein:

the user is granted a set of privileges associated with accessing the resource; and

the second token is associated with a new set of privileges formed by removing the revoked privilege from the set of privileges.

15. The media of claim 14, embodying software further operable when execute to determine, based on a token-based rule, to grant a new privilege based on the second risk token, wherein the new set of privileges is formed by further adding the new privilege to the set of privileges.

16. The media of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tokens comprises at least one of a subject token, a resource token, and a network token and the change during the session occurs in at least one token of the plurality of tokens.

17. The media of claim 13, wherein the second token is communicated to a resource provider.

18. The media of claim 13, wherein the determination to revoke the privilege is based on a token-based rule.