Building data security in a networked computing environment

• US 8,782,762 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Krishnan, Narayanan, Neelamegam, Kishorekumar, Rajan, Vibhaw P., Viswanathan, Ram
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US13/211,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20130047230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 10, 726 26- 30, 713/150, 713164-167, 713/189, 713/193, 707/999.001, 707/999.009
• US Class Current: 726/7
• 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 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

In general, embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for providing a multi-tenant/customer partition group separator and securer in a shared cloud infrastructure (e.g., as an extension to DB2®, Label-Based Access Control (LBAC), and/or an independent tool). Among other things, embodiments of the present invention provide cloud administrators with an easy to use customizable, configurable security constraint builder/tool with a built-in multi-tenant/customer enabled security model. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention enable cloud administrators to set up, configure, and manage tenants/customers and their private shards with their own security constraints. The output of this tool greatly eases the time to create an invisible (e.g., software) wall of separation for multiple tenants/customers in a shared cloud infrastructure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for building data security in a networked computing environment, comprising:

partitioning a shared data source of the networked computing environment into a set of private partitions pertaining to a set of customers;

associating a set of composite rule sets with the set of private partitions, the composite rule sets defining an identity index of the set of customers to which the private partitions pertain;

receiving a connection request for the shared data source from a customer of the set of customers, the connection request having a cryptographic key associated with the customer;

creating a trusted compartment for the customer responsive to an authentication of the cryptographic key;

receiving a data request from the customer;

determining at least one of the set of private petitions in which the requested data is to be stored or retrieved based on the data request;

validating the data request by determining whether an identity index of the customer is of a degree sufficient to process the data request based upon a sensitivity index of data requested by the data request and the identity index from the composite rule set associated with the determined private partition;

processing the data request using a buffer pool frame and the determined at least one of the set of private partitions; and

creating an entry in a log corresponding to the customer pursuant to the processing of the data request.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the sensitivity index for the customer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the validating comprising:

routing the data request to a securer; and

validating the data request using the securer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data request in a compartment cache associated with the trusted compartment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the logging comprising:

writing a log buffer frame pursuant to the processing; and

encrypting the log buffer frame using the cryptographic key.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising writing data associated with the data request to the partition.

8. A system for building data security in a networked computing environment, comprising:

a memory medium comprising instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to;

partition a shared data source of the networked computing environment into a set of private partitions pertaining to a set of customers;

associating a set of composite rule sets with the set of private partitions, the composite rule sets defining an identity index of the set of customers to which the private partitions pertain;

receive a connection request for the shared data source from a customer of the set of customers, the connection request having a cryptographic key associated with the customer;

create a trusted compartment for the customer responsive to an authentication of the cryptographic key;

receive a data request from the customer;

determine at least one of the set of private petitions in which the requested data is to be stored or retrieved based on the data request;

validate the data request by determining whether an identity index of the customer is of a degree sufficient to process the data request based upon a sensitivity index of data requested by the data request and the identity index from the composite rule set associated with the determined at least one of the set of private partitions;

process the data request using a buffer pool frame and the determined at least one of the set of private partitions; and

create an entry in a log corresponding to the customer pursuant to the processing of the data request.

9. The system of claim 8, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

10. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to configure the sensitivity index for the customer.

11. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to:

route the data request to a securer; and

validate the data request using the securer.

12. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to store the data request in a compartment cache associated with the trusted compartment.

13. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to:

write a log buffer frame pursuant to the processing; and

encrypt the log buffer frame using the cryptographic key.

14. The system of claim 8, the memory medium further comprising instructions for causing the system to write data associated with the data request to the partition.

15. A computer program product for building data security in a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising a nontransitory computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage media, which when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to:

partition a shared data source of the networked computing environment into a set of private partitions pertaining to a set of customers;

associate a set of composite rule sets with the set of private partitions, the composite rule sets defining an identity index of the set of customers to which the private partitions pertain;

receive a connection request for the shared data source from a customer of the set of customers, the connection request having a cryptographic key associated with the customer;

create a trusted compartment for the customer responsive to an authentication of the cryptographic key;

receive a data request from the customer;

determine at least one of the set of private petitions in which the requested data is to be stored or retrieved based on the data request;

validate the data request by determining whether an identity index of the customer is of a degree sufficient to process the data request based upon a sensitivity index of data requested by the data request and the identity index from the composite rule set associated with the determined at least one of the set of private partitions;

process the data request using a buffer pool frame and the determined at least one of the set of private partitions, the at least one of the set of private partitions corresponding to the customer; and

create an entry in a log corresponding to the customer pursuant to the processing of the data request.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the non-transitory computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to configure the sensitivity index for the customer.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, the non-transitory computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to:

route the data request to a securer; and

validate the data request using the securer.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, the non-transitory computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to store the data request in a compartment cache associated with the trusted compartment.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, the non-transitory computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to:

write a log buffer frame pursuant to the processing; and

encrypt the log buffer frame using the cryptographic key.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, the non-transitory computer readable storage media further comprising instructions to write data associated with the data request to the partition.

22. A method for deploying a system for building data security in a networked computing environment:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

partition a shared data source of the networked computing environment into a set of private partitions pertaining to a set of customers;

associate a set of composite rule sets with the set of private partitions, the composite rule sets defining an identity index of the set of customers to which the private partitions pertain;

receive a connection request for the shared data source from a customer of the set of customers, the connection request having a cryptographic key associated with the customer;

create a trusted compartment for the customer responsive to an authentication of the cryptographic key;

receive a data request from the customer;

determine at least one of the set of private petitions in which the requested data is to be stored or retrieved based on the data request;

validate the data request whether an identity index of the customer is of a degree sufficient to process the data request based upon a sensitivity index of data requested by the data request and the identity index from the composite rule set associated with the determined at least one of the set of private partitions;

process the data request using a buffer pool frame and the determined at least one of the set of private partitions; and

create an entry in a log corresponding to the customer pursuant to the processing of the data request.