Method and apparatus for providing proxy-based access controls

• US 9,838,392 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Sainio, Miikka Johannes, Lahtiranta, Atte
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US13/071,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,448 Days
• Field of Search: 713153-155, 709233, 709223, 709224, 726 12- 16, 370311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls

Abstract

An approach is provided for proxy-based access controls. A proxy platform causes, at least in part, designation of at least one monitoring client of a proxy server. The proxy platform receives an input for associating one or more accessing clients with the at least one monitoring client. The at least one monitoring client manages access to one or more resources of the proxy server by the one or more accessing clients.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by an apparatus, a designation of at least one monitoring client of a proxy server;

receiving, by the apparatus, an input for associating one or more accessing clients with the at least one monitoring client;

in response to receiving a request for accessing one or more resources from one of the accessing clients, initiating, by the apparatus, a presentation on an user interface associated with the one accessing client of a prompt to send to the at least one monitoring client a request for lifting an access policy, an access list, or a combination thereof that deny the request for accessing, wherein the prompt specifies the at least one monitoring client;

initiating, by the apparatus, a modification of content to be delivered from the one or more resources to the one or more accessing clients based, at least in part, on one or more capabilities or characteristics associated with the one or more accessing clients;

generating, by the apparatus, respective access histories for the one or more accessing clients; and

providing, by the apparatus, access to the respective access histories to the at least one monitoring client via the proxy server,

wherein the at least one monitoring client manages, remotely from the proxy server, access to the one or more resources of the proxy server by the one or more accessing clients, and

wherein the at least one monitoring client and the one or more accessing clients are peer clients of the proxy server.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving another input, from the at least one monitoring client, for specifying one or more access policies, one or more access lists, or a combination thereof with respect to the one or more resources that include the access policy and the access list; and

in response to receiving the request for lifting the access policy, the access list, or a combination thereof, initiating a presentation on an user interface associated with the at least one monitoring client of a prompt for overriding the access policy, the access list, or a combination thereof, wherein the prompt specifies the one accessing client.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an input in response to the prompt for overriding; and

overriding the access policy, the access list, or a combination thereof to allow the one accessing client to access the at least one of the one or more resources,

wherein the one or more access policies are specific to all or a subset of the one or more accessing clients.

4. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

processing the one or more access policies, one or more default access policies, or a combination thereof to determine whether to grant or deny the request for accessing,

wherein the access policy, the access list, or a combination thereof deny access to one or more malicious web services by the one or more accessing clients.

5. A method of claim 4, further comprising:

initiating a transmission of a notification to the one accessing client of an approval for the request for accessing,

wherein whether to grant or deny the request for accessing is further determined based, at least in part, on the approval.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a presentation on the user interface associated with the at least one monitoring client of the respective access histories;

receiving one or more user selections of websites in the respective access histories; and

including the websites in the one or more access policies, the one or more access lists, or a combination thereof to respectively deny the one or more accessing clients to access the websites,

wherein the respective access histories include, at least in part, a web history, a call history, a text messaging history, a bandwidth usage history, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing access to context information associated with the one or more accessing clients to the at least one monitoring client via the proxy server.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a text message, an account name, a unique identifier, or a combination thereof that identifies the at least one monitoring client, the one or more accessing clients, or a combination thereof at the proxy server,

wherein the apparatus is embedded the proxy server.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a designation of at least one monitoring client of a proxy server;

receive an input for associating one or more accessing clients with the at least one monitoring client;

in response to receiving a request for accessing one or more resources from one of the accessing clients, initiate a presentation on an user interface associated with the one accessing client of a prompt to send to the at least one monitoring client a request for lifting an access policy, an access list, or a combination thereof that deny the request for accessing, wherein the prompt specifies the at least one monitoring client;

initiate a modification of content to be delivered from the one or more resources to the one or more accessing clients based, at least in part, on one or more capabilities or characteristics associated with the one or more accessing clients;

generate respective access histories for the one or more accessing clients; and

provide access to the respective access histories to the at least one monitoring client via the proxy server,

wherein the at least one monitoring client manages, remotely from the proxy server, access to the one or more resources of the proxy server by the one or more accessing clients, and

wherein the at least one monitoring client and the one or more accessing clients are peer clients of the proxy server.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive another input, from the at least one monitoring client, for specifying one or more access policies, one or more access lists, or a combination thereof with respect to the one or more resources that include the access policy and the access list.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more access policies are specific to all or a subset of the one or more accessing clients.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process the one or more access policies, one or more default access policies, or a combination thereof to determine whether to grant or deny the request for accessing.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

initiate a transmission of a notification to the one accessing client of an approval for the request for accessing,

wherein whether to grant or deny the request for accessing is further determined based, at least in part, on the approval.

14. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the respective access histories include, at least in part, a web history, a call history, a text messaging history, a bandwidth usage history, or a combination thereof.

15. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

provide access to context information associated with the one or more accessing clients to the at least one monitoring client via the proxy server.

16. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive a text message, an account name, a unique identifier, or a combination thereof to identify the at least one monitoring client, the one or more accessing clients, or a combination thereof at the proxy server.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining a designation of at least one monitoring client of a proxy server;

receiving an input for associating one or more accessing clients with the at least one monitoring client;

in response to receiving a request for accessing one or more resources from one of the accessing clients, initiating a presentation on an user interface associated with the one accessing client of a prompt to send to the at least one monitoring client a request for lifting an access policy, an access list, or a combination thereof that deny the request for accessing, wherein the prompt specifies the at least one monitoring client;

initiating a modification of content to be delivered from the one or more resources to the one or more accessing clients based, at least in part, on one or more capabilities or characteristics associated with the one or more accessing clients;

generating respective access histories for the one or more accessing clients; and

providing access to the respective access histories to the at least one monitoring client via the proxy server,

wherein the at least one monitoring client manages, remotely from the proxy server, access to the one or more resources of the proxy server by the one or more accessing clients, and

wherein the at least one monitoring client and the one or more accessing clients are peer clients of the proxy server.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

initiating a modification of content to be delivered to the one or more accessing clients based, at least in part, on one or more capabilities or characteristics associated with the one or more accessing clients;

generating respective access histories for the one or more accessing clients; and

providing access to the respective access histories to the at least one monitoring client via the proxy server.