Multi cloud policy enactment via organizations to cloud-provider partnerships

• US 9,596,267 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Srikanth, Ranganathan, Armour, David James, Sanghvi, Ashvinkumar J., Winter, Jeremy, Ballard, John David, Need, Dwayne Richard, Parthasarathy, Srivatsan
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baotran N
• Application Number:
  US14/469,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• 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 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

A method includes acts for establishing a subscription for an entity. The method includes receiving, at a cloud service provider, a request from an entity to establish a subscription. The request includes credentials for the entity that are not proper credentials for an organization associated with the entity that the entity should use to access services for the organization. The method further includes performing a corrective action based on detecting one or more factors to determine that the entity is associated with the organization. The method further includes providing services based on the corrective action.

Claims

1. In a cloud service provider system, a method of establishing a subscription for an entity, the method comprising:

receiving, at a cloud service provider, a request from the entity to establish a subscription for an entity that is associated with an organization, wherein the organization already has a subscription, and wherein the request comprises credentials for the entity that are not proper credentials for the organization associated with the entity, the proper credentials comprising credentials that the entity should use to access services for the organization;

performing a corrective action based on detecting one or more factors that indicate that the entity is associated with the organization, wherein the corrective action includes providing a selectable element that, when selected, directs the entity to an interface that is at least usable to enter the proper credentials; and

providing services based on the corrective action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises a prompt to the entity identifying the organization and prompting to provide proper credentials for accessing services for the organization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein prompting comprises providing an advertisement advertising services available to the organization.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein prompting comprises describing benefits of using credentials for the organization.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises:

enforcing policies that are associated with the organization on a subscription that is created by the entity without using the proper credentials.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein policies are quantity and quality of service;

constraints on configuration;

audit and monitoring, access to shared enablers, ownership.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises reporting to the organization.

8. The method of 1, further comprising detecting improper credentials that are nonetheless associated with the organization.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting improper credentials comprises one or more of detecting credit cards belonging to or associated with the organization, the organization'"'"'s physical address, one or more ip addresses associated with the organization, one or more phone numbers associated with the organization, one or more email addresses associated with the organization, or one or more invitation codes that are usable to provide a special offer that is associated with the organization.

10. A cloud provider system, wherein the cloud provider comprises:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable hardware storage device, wherein the one or more computer readable hardware storage device comprises stored computer executable instructions that are executable by at least one of the one or more processors to cause at least one of the one or more processors to;

receive, at a cloud service provider, a request from an entity to establish a subscription for an entity that is associated with an organization, wherein the organization already has a subscription, and wherein the request comprises credentials for the entity that are not proper credentials for the organization associated with the entity, the proper credentials comprising credentials that the entity should use to access services for the organization;

perform a corrective action based on detecting one or more factors that indicate that the entity is associated with the organization, wherein the corrective action includes providing a selectable element that, when selected, directs the entity to an interface that is at least usable to enter the proper credentials; and

provide services based on the corrective action.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the corrective action comprises a prompt to the entity identifying the organization and prompting to provide proper credentials for accessing services for the organization.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein prompting comprises providing an advertisement advertising services available to the organization.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein prompting comprises describing benefits of using credentials for the organization.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the corrective action comprises:

enforcing policies that are associated with the organization on a subscription that was created by the entity without using the proper credentials.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the corrective action comprises reporting to the organization.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising detecting improper credentials that are nonetheless associated with the organization.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein detecting improper credentials comprises one or more of detecting credit cards belonging to or associated with the organization, the organization'"'"'s physical address, one or more ip addresses associated with the organization, one or more phone numbers associated with the organization, one or more email addresses associated with the organization, or one or more invitation codes that are usable to provide a special offer that is associated with the organization.

18. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the computer system to establish a subscription for an entity by causing the computer system to;

receive a request from the entity to establish the subscription, wherein the request comprises credentials for the entity that are not proper credentials for an organization associated with the entity that the entity should use to access services for the organization;

based on information obtained from the entity, determine whether the entity is sufficiently likely to be associated with the organization;

in response to a determination that the entity is sufficiently likely to be associated with the organization, perform a corrective action, wherein the corrective action includes providing a selectable element that, when selected, directs the entity to an interface that is at least usable to enter the proper credentials;

after the determination that the entity is sufficiently likely to be associated with the organization and after performing the corrective action, identify one or more policies that are associated with the organization; and

provide services to the entity, wherein the services are controlled according to the identified one or more policies associated with the organization.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the one or more policies that are associated with the organization cause the computer system to:

use a firewall to block traffic to a service provider that does not have a partnership with the organization.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein unique resources are assigned to the entity such that the services provided to the entity are provided by the unique resources.