Systems and methods of secure self-service access to content

• US 9,842,220 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dell Software, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Michel Albert, Johnstone, Curtis T., Le Rudulier, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US14/683,441
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is performed by a computer system. The method includes receiving a request from a user to access particular content. The method further includes determining a trust measure of the user, wherein the trust measure is based, at least in part, on an analysis of logged user-initiated communication events of the user on a plurality of communications platforms. In addition, the method includes accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content. Further, the method includes ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, a trust threshold applicable to the particular content. Moreover, the method includes, responsive to a determination that the trust measure fails to satisfy the trust threshold, automatically denying access by the user to the particular content.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computer system:

receiving a request from a user to access particular content;

in response to the request;

determining a trust measure of the user, wherein the trust measure is based, at least in part, on an analysis of logged user-initiated communication events of the user on a plurality of communications platforms, wherein the trust measure is variable over time in relation to the logged user-initiated communication events;

wherein the determining the trust measure comprises;

enumerating historical data loss prevention (DLP) policy violations by the user on the plurality of communications platforms;

determining a communication profile of the user based, at least in part, on the logged user-initiated communication events;

determining directory-services information for the user from a directory service; and

quantitatively evaluating a combination of the DLP policy violations, the communication profile, and the directory-services information via one or more rules, wherein the trust measure comprises a numerical result of the quantitatively evaluating;

accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content;

ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, a trust threshold applicable to the particular content; and

responsive to a determination that the trust measure fails to satisfy the trust threshold, automatically denying access by the user to the particular content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enumerating comprises enumerating quasi-violations by the user on the plurality of communications platforms.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the communication profile of the user comprises:

accessing event-assessment data for the logged user-initiated communication events, wherein each user-initiated communication event relates to at least one communication of a plurality of communications, wherein the event-assessment data comprises information related to a content-based classification of each of the plurality of communications;

determining event-context information for each of the logged user-initiated communication events, the event-context information comprising user-identification information, user-location information, event-timing information, and user-device identification information;

correlating the event-assessment data to a plurality of user contexts, each user context defined by a distinct subset of the event-context information;

associating at least one user-communication pattern with each user context based, at least in part, on the correlated event-assessment data; and

generating the communication profile using a result of the associating.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the communication profile comprises accessing a pre-processed communication profile of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantitatively evaluating comprises:

determining trust values for the historical DLP violations, the communication profile, and the directory-services information; and

wherein the trust measure is based on a combination of the trust values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the trust measure comprises accessing a pre-processed trust measure in memory.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising, responsive to a determination that the trust measure satisfies the trust threshold, automatically granting access by the user to the particular content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the automatically granting comprises causing the user to be added to an access control list for the particular content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trust measure comprises an allocation of virtual currency.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

responsive to a determination that the trust measure satisfies the trust threshold, automatically granting access by the user to the particular content; and

decrementing the trust measure by a configurable amount.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining information related to a current user context of the user; and

responsive to a determination that the current user context comprises an outlier condition, denying access by the user to the particular content regardless of the trust measure.

12. An information handling system comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory, wherein the at least one processor is operable to implement a method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to access particular content;

in response to the request;

determining a trust measure of the user, wherein the trust measure is based, at least in part, on an analysis of logged user-initiated communication events of the user on a plurality of communications platforms, wherein the trust measure is variable over time in relation to the logged user-initiated communication events;

wherein the determining the trust measure comprises;

enumerating historical data loss prevention (DLP) policy violations by the user on the plurality of communications platforms;

determining a communication profile of the user based, at least in part, on the logged user-initiated communication events;

determining directory-services information for the user from a directory service; and

quantitatively evaluating a combination of the DLP policy violations, the communication profile, and the directory-services information via one or more rules, wherein the trust measure comprises a numerical result of the quantitatively evaluating;

accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content;

ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, a trust threshold applicable to the particular content; and

responsive to a determination that the trust measure fails to satisfy the trust threshold, automatically denying access by the user to the particular content.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the enumerating comprises enumerating quasi-violations by the user on the plurality of communications platforms.

14. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the determining the communication profile of the user comprises:

accessing event-assessment data for the logged user-initiated communication events, wherein each user-initiated communication event relates to at least one communication of a plurality of communications, wherein the event-assessment data comprises information related to a content-based classification of each of the plurality of communications;

determining event-context information for each of the logged user-initiated communication events, the event-context information comprising user-identification information, user-location information, event-timing information, and user-device identification information;

correlating the event-assessment data to a plurality of user contexts, each user context defined by a distinct subset of the event-context information;

associating at least one user-communication pattern with each user context based, at least in part, on the correlated event-assessment data; and

generating the communication profile using a result of the associating.

15. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the determining the communication profile comprises accessing a pre-processed communication profile of the user.

16. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the quantitatively evaluating comprises:

determining trust values for the historical DLP violations, the communication profile, and the directory-services information; and

wherein the trust measure is based on a combination of the trust values.

17. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the determining the trust measure comprises accessing a pre-processed trust measure in memory.

18. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to access particular content;

in response to the request;

determining a trust measure of the user, wherein the trust measure is based, at least in part, on an analysis of logged user-initiated communication events of the user on a plurality of communications platforms, wherein the trust measure is variable over time in relation to the logged user-initiated communication events;

wherein the determining the trust measure comprises;

enumerating historical data loss prevention (DLP) policy violations by the user on the plurality of communications platforms;

determining a communication profile of the user based, at least in part, on the logged user-initiated communication events;

determining directory-services information for the user from a directory service; and

quantitatively evaluating a combination of the DLP policy violations, the communication profile, and the directory-services information via one or more rules, wherein the trust measure comprises a numerical result of the quantitatively evaluating;

accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content;

ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, a trust threshold applicable to the particular content; and

responsive to a determination that the trust measure fails to satisfy the trust threshold, automatically denying access by the user to the particular content.