MICRO AND MACRO TRUST IN A DECENTRALIZED ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120311666A1
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Li, John Vicente, Rita H. Wouhaybi
• Original Assignee: Hong Li, John Vicente, Rita H. Wouhaybi
• Inventors: Wouhaybi, Rita H., Vicente, John, Li, Hong
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes calculating a trust level of a first entity. The first entity has a plurality of components. Each component in the first entity has at least the trust level of the first entity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

interfacing, by a first local component of a local computing device entity, with an external computing device entity;

receiving, by the first local component, a list of external components from the external computing device entity, the list of external components comprising one or more components of the external computing device entity;

calculating, by the first local component, a first trust level between the local computing device entity and the external computing device entity;

setting, by the first local component, a base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device entity equal to the first trust level;

determining, by a second local component of the local computing device entity, a second trust level between the second local component of the local computing device entity and an external component of the external computing device entity as a function of the base trust level set for the external component; and

determining, by the second local component, whether to communicate with the external component as a function of the second trust level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a list of external components from the external computing device entity comprising receiving a list of external components from the external computing device entity in response to initially interfacing with the external computing device entity by the first local component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising dictating, by the first local component, the second trust level to the second local component, and

wherein determining, by a second local component of the local computing device entity, a second trust level comprising adopting the second trust level dictated by the first local component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by the second local component, the second trust level from the first local component; and

receiving, by the second local component, the second trust level from the first local component, and

wherein determining, by a second local component of the local computing device entity, a second trust level comprising adopting the second trust level received from the first local component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, by the first local component, an individual trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device entity;

determining, by the first local component, whether each of the individual trust levels for each of the external components of the external computing device entity is higher than the base trust level; and

re-calculating, by the first local component, the first trust level between the local computing device entity and the external computing device entity in response to determining that each of the individual trust levels is higher than the base trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising an increased first trust level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein setting a base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device entity comprising re-setting the base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device entity in response to the first trust level being re-calculated.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, by the first local component, an individual trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device entity;

determining, by the first local component, whether one or more of the individual trust levels for each of the external components of the external computing device entity is lower than the base trust level; and

re-calculating, by the first local component, the first trust level between the local computing device entity and the external computing device entity in response to determining that one or more of the individual trust levels is lower than the base trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising a decreased first trust level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising warning, by the first local component of the local computing device entity, the external component of the external computing device entity of an attack received from another external component of another external computing device entity.

9. A local computing device comprising:

a first local component to;

interface with an external computing device,

receive a list of external components from the external computing device, the list of external components comprising one or more components of the external computing device,

calculate a first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device, and

set a base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device equal to the first trust level; and

a second local component to;

determine a second trust level between the second local component of the local computing device and an external component of the external computing device as a function of the base trust level set for the external component, and

determine whether to communicate with the external component as a function of the second trust level.

10. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein to receive a list of external components from the external computing device comprising to receive a list of external components from the external computing device in response to an initial interface with the external computing device by the first local component.

11. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component further to dictate the second trust level to the second local component, and

wherein to determine a second trust level comprising to adopt the second trust level dictated by the first local component.

12. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the second local component further to:

request the second trust level from the first local component; and

receive the second trust level from the first local component, and

wherein to determine a second trust level comprising to adopt the second trust level received from the first local component.

13. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component further to:

calculate an individual trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device;

determine whether each of the individual trust levels for each of the external components of the external computing device is higher than the base trust level; and

re-calculate the first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device in response to determining that each of the individual trust levels is higher than the base trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising an increased first trust level.

14. The local computing device of claim 13, wherein to set a base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device comprising to re-set the base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device in response to the first trust level being re-calculated.

15. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component further to:

calculate an individual trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device;

determine whether one or more of the individual trust levels for each of the external components of the external computing device is lower than the base trust level; and

re-calculate the first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device in response to determining that one or more of the individual trust levels is lower than the base trust level, the re-calculated first trust level comprising a decreased first trust level.

16. The local computing device of claim 9, wherein the first local component of the local computing device further to warn the external component of the external computing device of an attack received from another external component of another external computing device.

17. A machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that in response to being executed result in a local computing device:

interfacing, by a first local component of the local computing device, with an external computing device;

receiving, by the first local component, a list of external components from the external computing device, the list of external components comprising one or more components of the external computing device;

calculating, by the first local component, a first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device;

setting, by the first local component, a base trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device equal to the first trust level;

determining, by a second local component of the local computing device, a second trust level between the second local component of the local computing device and an external component of the external computing device as a function of the base trust level set for the external component; and

determining, by the second local component, whether to communicate with the external component as a function of the second trust level.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the local computing device dictating, by the first local component, the second trust level to the second local component, and

wherein determining, by a second local component of the local computing device, a second trust level comprising adopting the second trust level dictated by the first local component.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the local computing device:

calculating, by the first local component, an individual trust level for each of the external components of the external computing device;

determining, by the first local component, whether each of the individual trust levels for each of the external components of the external computing device is higher than the base trust level; and

re-calculating, by the first local component, the first trust level between the local computing device and the external computing device in response to determining that each of the individual trust levels is higher than the base trust level.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions further result in the local computing device warning, by the first local component of the local computing device, the external component of the external computing device of an attack received from another external component of another external computing device.