Providing security services within a cloud computing environment

• US 9,129,086 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Betz, Linda N., Ho, Wesley J., Lingafelt, Charles S., Merrill, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nirav B
• Application Number:
  US12/717,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20110219434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 7, 726 22- 25, 726 11- 15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow for the provisioning of security services within a Cloud computing environment by third parties. Specifically, under the present invention, a Cloud provider will publish a set of potential security attributes (e.g., a list), which can be monitored, to the Cloud customer. The Cloud customer will designate/select one or more of those attributes that the Cloud customer wishes to have monitored for one or more Cloud resources that it is using. The Cloud provider will then provide to the Cloud customer a set of third party security service providers capable of monitoring the attributes the Cloud customer designated. The Cloud customer will then select one or more third party providers from the provided set, and the Cloud provider will associate the given Cloud resources with the respective third party providers. Once third party providers have been associated with Cloud resources, a secure relationship between the third party provider(s) and the Cloud providers will be established.

Claims

1. A method for providing security services within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

publishing by a Cloud provider to a Cloud customer, a set of potential security attributes that are monitorable;

receiving, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a selection of a set of security attributes, from the published set of potential security attributes, to be monitored for the Cloud customer, the set of security attributes being selected from the set of potential security attributes;

publishing, by the Cloud provider to the Cloud customer, a plurality of security service providers capable of monitoring the set of security attributes selected for the Cloud customer, the plurality of security service providers each comprising at least one computing device;

receiving, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a designation of at least one security service provider from the published plurality of security service providers;

associating, by the Cloud provider, at least one Cloud resource used by the Cloud customer with the designated at least one security service provider;

specifying, by the Cloud customer, to the Cloud provider a credential for use in validation of the designated at least one security service provider;

sending, by the Cloud customer, the credential to the designated at least one security service provider;

establishing a secure relationship between the Cloud provider and the designated at least one security service provider;

sending, by the Cloud provider to the at least one security service provider, security information comprising output from sensors in a Cloud computing network, output from host-based intrusion detection, antivirus alerts, and data on patch penetration;

monitoring, by the designated at least one security service provider, in the cloud computing environment, using the security information, the set of security attributes for the Cloud customer using the secure relationship;

analyzing, by the at least one security service provider, the security information; and

reporting, by the at least one security service provider, on the Cloud provider'"'"'s attainment of security targets;

wherein the Cloud provider, the Cloud customer, and each of the set of security service providers are separate entities operating within the cloud computing environment.

2. The method of claim 1, the establishing comprising:

exchanging security credentials between the Cloud provider and the security service provider; and

the Cloud provider sending security information to the at least one security service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, the set of security potential attributes comprising at least one of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a threshold, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, or patch levels applied.

4. The method of claim 1, the set of security potential attributes comprising each of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a threshold, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, and patch levels applied.

5. A system for providing security services within a Cloud 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;

publish, by a Cloud provider to a Cloud customer, by a Cloud provider, a set of potential security attributes that are monitorable;

receive, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a selection of a set of security attributes, from the published set of potential security attributes, to be monitored for the Cloud customer, the set of security attributes being selected from the set of potential security attributes;

publish, by the Cloud provider to the Cloud customer, a plurality of security service providers capable of monitoring the set of security attributes selected for the Cloud customer, the plurality of security service providers each comprising at least one computing device;

receive, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a designation of at least one security service provider from the published plurality of security service providers;

associate, by the Cloud provider, at least one Cloud resource used by the Cloud customer with the designated at least one security service provider;

specify, by the Cloud customer, to the Cloud provider a credential for use in validation of the designated at least one security service provider;

send, by the Cloud customer, the credential to the designated at least one security service provider;

establish a secure relationship between the Cloud provider and the designated at least one security service provider;

send, by the Cloud provider to the at least one security service provider, security information comprising output from sensors in a Cloud computing network, output from host-based intrusion detection, antivirus alerts, and data on patch penetration;

monitor, by the designated at least one security service provider, in the cloud computing environment, using the security information, the set of security attributes for the Cloud customer using the secure relationship;

analyze, by the at least one security service provider, the security information; and

report, by the at least one security service provider, on the Cloud provider'"'"'s attainment of security targets;

wherein the Cloud provider, the Cloud customer, and each of the security service provider companies are separate entities operating within the cloud computing environment.

6. The system of claim 5, the secure relationship being established by:

an exchange of security credentials between the Cloud provider and the security service provider; and

the Cloud provider sending security information to the at least one security service provider.

7. The system of claim 5, the set of security potential attributes comprising at least one of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a thresholds, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, or patch levels applied.

8. The system of claim 5, the set of security potential attributes comprising each of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a thresholds, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, and patch levels applied.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a program product for providing security services within a Cloud computing environment, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program code for causing a computer to:

publish, by a Cloud provider to a Cloud customer, a set of potential security attributes that are monitorable;

receive, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a selection of a set of security attributes, from the published set of potential security attributes, to be monitored for the Cloud customer, the set of security attributes being selected from the set of potential security attributes;

publish, by the Cloud provider to the Cloud customer, a plurality of security service providers capable of monitoring the set of security attributes selected for the Cloud customer, the plurality of security service providers each comprising at least one computing device;

receive, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a designation of at least one security service provider from the published plurality of security service providers;

associate, by the Cloud provider, at least one Cloud resource used by the Cloud customer with the designated at least one security service provider;

specify, by the Cloud customer, to the Cloud provider a credential for use in validation of the designated at least one security service provider;

send, by the Cloud customer, the credential to the designated at least one security service provider;

establish a secure relationship between the Cloud provider and the designated at least one security service provider;

send, by the Cloud provider to the at least one security service provider, security information comprising output from sensors in a Cloud computing network, output from host-based intrusion detection, antivirus alerts, and data on patch penetration;

monitor, by the designated at least one security service provider, in the cloud computing environment, using the security information, the set of security attributes for the Cloud customer using the secure relationship;

analyze, by the at least one security service provider, the security information; and

report, by the at least one security service provider, on the Cloud provider'"'"'s attainment of security targets;

wherein the Cloud provider, the Cloud customer, and each of the security service provider companies are separate entities operating within the cloud computing environment.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing the program product of claim 9, the secure relationship being established by:

an exchange security credentials between the Cloud provider and the security service provider; and

the Cloud provider sending security information to the at least one security service provider.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing the program product of claim 9, the set of security potential attributes comprising at least one of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a threshold, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, or patch levels applied.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing the program product of claim 9, the set of security potential attributes comprising each of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a threshold, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, or patch levels applied.

13. A method for deploying a system for providing security services within a Cloud computing environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

publish, by a Cloud provider to a Cloud customer, a set of potential security attributes that are monitorable;

receive, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a selection of a set of security attributes, from the published set of potential security attributes, to be monitored for the Cloud customer, the set of security attributes being selected from the set of potential security attributes;

publish, by the Cloud provider to the Cloud customer, a plurality of security service providers capable of monitoring the set of security attributes selected for the Cloud customer, the plurality of security service providers each comprising at least one computing device;

receive, by the Cloud provider from the Cloud customer, a designation of at least one security service provider from the published plurality of security service provider companies;

associate, by the Cloud provider, at least one Cloud resource used by the Cloud customer with the designated at least one security service provider;

specify, by the Cloud customer, to the Cloud provider a credential for use in validation of the designated at least one security service provider;

send, by the Cloud customer, the credential to the designated at least one security service provider;

establish a secure relationship between the Cloud provider and the designated at least one security service provider;

send, by the Cloud provider to the at least one security service provider, security information comprising output from sensors in a Cloud computing network, output from host-based intrusion detection, antivirus alerts, and data on patch penetration;

monitor, by the designated at least one security service provider, in the cloud computing environment, using the security information, the set of security attributes for the Cloud customer using the secure relationship;

analyze, by the at least one security service provider, the security information; and

report, by the at least one security service provider, on the Cloud provider'"'"'s attainment of security targets;

wherein the Cloud provider, the Cloud customer, and each of the plurality of security service providers are separate entities operating within the cloud computing environment.

14. The method of claim 13, the set of security potential attributes comprising each of the following:

alerting thresholds, event specific alerts, a number of access attempts, a number of access attempts above a threshold, a number of blocked attempts, a number of blocked attempts above a threshold, alerts on transfer of sensitive data, attempts to access accounts, attempts to delete data, or patch levels applied.