Patent Application
20070283413
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention:
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.
Some portions of the detailed descriptions, which follow, are presented in terms of procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. A procedure, computer executed step, logic block, process, etc., is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.
It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present invention, discussions utilizing terms, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.
Embodiments of the present invention comprise three main parts: Client token, OS security, and network security. Embodiments of the present invention use portable policy and profiles to establish a secure environment no matter where the end-user goes, and no matter what platform the user uses. As such, the portable security will go with them, including the portable secure policy and user profile. This establishes a convenient and safe security environment.
The system provides an integrated way of detecting the health state of an intranet client that is attempting to connect to or communicate on a network and limiting the access of the network client until the health policy requirements have been met. The policy requirements comprise installed applications, installed patches, configurations, device performance, hardware components and/or the like.
To validate access to a network based on system health, a network infrastructure needs to provide the following areas of functionality: health policy validation, which determines whether the computers are compliant with health policy requirements; Network access limitation, which limits access for noncompliant computers; Automatic remediation, which provides necessary updates to allow a noncompliant computer to become compliant. Ongoing compliance, which automatically updates compliant computers so that they adhere to ongoing changes in health policy requirements.
In a policy-based network, the resources can be allocated by the policy server based on the time of day, client authorization privileges, availability of network resources, and any other factors that the network manager may specify when composing the policy. With respect to files and documents, the policy server can allow or deny access, control the extent to which a client can use the document (for example, one-time printing or downloading only), track client use patterns, log changes or modifications, provide automatic updates, eliminate unnecessary redundancy, minimize the need to re-issue documents, and delete outdated data. A policy server can be an important component of networks in which client privacy must be protected (as in medical records) or secrecy maintained (as in military operations).
Referring to
The security system 100 comprises a policy server 106, which is the core device of the security system 100. The policy server 106 provides authorization services and facilitates tracking and control of files. The policy server accepts access control requests, processes them against a formal set of statements that define how the network's resources are to be allocated among its clients (known as the policy), and returns access control responses.
If the client end 101 succeeds registering into the Policy Server 106, then the policy server 106 makes the client end 101 pass Authentication. That is, the policy server 106 checks the identity of the client end 101.
If the client end 101 passes the Authentication, the policy server starts auto downloading latest checklist. That is, the policy server checks whether the client end meets the policy security requirements. More specifically, the policy requirements indicate the computer device status with respect to criteria such as installed applications, installed patches, configurations, device performance, hardware components and/or the like.
The client end 101 automatically downloads the latest security checklist from the policy server 106. Meanwhile, the policy server 106 automatically starts a host check for the client end 101. The host check between the policy server 106 and the client end includes, but is not limited to the following items: System Patch, Anti-virus Pattern, file check, process check, local IP, and device check.
The host check is a measure of the trustworthiness of the client end 101. In particular, if the client end is indicative of a healthy state, the request if forwarded to the intended destination. If the client end is indicative of an unhealthy state, the communication traffic of the request may be dropped. In another implementation, if the client end is indicative of an unhealthy state, the request may be filtered or limited according to one or more conventional network provisioning and traffic parameters. In yet another implementation, if the client end is indicative of an unhealthy state the request may be directed. The request may be redirected by pushing the source and/or destination device to an appropriate resource for updating the state of the device. For example, the source computing device may be directed to a server where its operating system may be updated with a current security patch.
On the other hand, if the client end 101 matches the security criteria, the Policy Server 106 dynamically generates a predefined client policy based on identity and environment of the client end 101. The policy server deploys dynamic policy into the client end 101, and network devices such as switch 112/104, wireless AP, Firewall (FW) 114, Invader Protection System (IPS/IDP) 110, Server Farm 108, and the like.
In another embodiment, if the client end fails to connect to the policy server 106, then the policy server 106 executes the Local Authentication. If the user passes the local authentication, then the client end 101 loads default profile and functions. On the other hand, if the client end fails the local authentication, the portable device does not function, or is disabled in one embodiment. In another embodiment, when the client end neither can connect to the Policy Server 106, nor can pass the local authentication, the policy server 106 will not provide any security protection or execute any security policy.
On the other hand, when the portable device passes the local authentication, then the client end loads the default profile and functions, in one embodiment. In one embodiment, loading is accomplished offline. The default functions (offline mode) in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to user profile (Favorites, File, Desktop); user App tools (Mail client, Telnet, SSH, Reliable Datagram Protocol (RDP), etc); basic policy; anti-phishing; and file encrypted/unencrypted.
A user coupled to a WAN inserts a portable ID device into a Client End 201 in order to log in. The client end 201 automatically installs a Security Agent. The Security Agent automatically enables a network encryption connection. That is, the present embodiment registers into the Policy Server 106 through any service ports which can connect to the outside web (e.g., Internet). The client end 201 may include personal computers, server computers, client devices, routers, switches, wireless access points, security appliances, hand-held or laptop devices, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, or the like.
The security system 200 comprises a policy server 206, which is the core device of the security system 200. The policy server 206 provides authorization services and facilitates tracking and control of files. The policy server accepts access control requests, processes them against a formal set of statements that define how the network's resources are to be allocated among its clients (known as the policy), and returns access control responses.
If the client end 201 succeeds in registering into the Policy Server 106, then the policy server 106 requires the client end 201 to pass Authentication. That is, the policy server 106 checks the identity of the client end 201.
If the client end 201 passes the Authentication, the policy server starts auto downloading the latest checklist. That is, the policy server checks whether the client end meets the policy security requirements. More specifically, the policy requirements indicate the computer device status with respect to criteria such as installed applications, installed patches, configurations, device performance, hardware components and/or the like.
The client end 201 automatically downloads the latest security checklist from the policy server 106. Meanwhile, the policy server 106 automatically starts a host check for the client end 201. The host check between the policy server 106 and the client end 201 includes, but are not limited to the following items: System Patch, Anti-virus Pattern, file check, process check, local IP, and device check.
On the other hand, if the client end 201 matches the security criteria, the Policy Server 106 dynamically generates a predefined client policy based on identity and environment of the client end 201. The policy server deploys dynamic policy into the client end 201, switches 204, wireless AP, Firewall (FW) 214, Invader Protection System (IPS/IDP) 210, Secure sockets Layer encrypts and authenticates (SSL) VPN 212, and the like.
In another embodiment, if the client end fails to connect to the policy server 106, then the policy server 106 executes a Local Authentication. If the user passes local authentication, then the client end loads default profile and functions. On the other hand, if the client end fails the local authentication, the portable device does not function, or is disabled in one embodiment. In another embodiment, when the client end neither can connect to the Policy Server 106, nor can pass the local authentication, the policy server 106 will not provide any security protection or execute any security policy.
On the other hand, when the portable device passes local authentication, then the client end loads the default profile and functions, in one embodiment. In one embodiment, loading is accomplished offline. The default functions (offline mode) in this embodiment include, but are not limited to user profile (Favorites, File, Desktop); user App tools (Mail client, Telnet, SSH, Reliable Datagram Protocol (RDP), etc); basic policy; anti-phishing; and file encrypted/unencrypted.
Operation 301 of the flowchart shown in
The flowchart of
If the registration into the Policy Server succeeds, then the present embodiment proceeds to the third operation to pass On-line Authentication at 303. On the other hand, if the present embodiment is not able to connect to the policy server, then the present embodiment executes the Local Authentication block at 304.
At 304 of the flow chart in
On the other hand, when the portable device passes the local authentication, then the operation 306 loads the default profile and functions, in one embodiment. In one embodiment, this is accomplished in an offline mode. The default functions (offline mode) in this embodiment include, but are not limited to user profile (Favorites, File, Desktop); user App tools (Mail client, Telnet, SSH, Reliable Datagram Protocol (RDP), etc); basic policy; anti-phishing; and file encrypted/unencrypted.
Referring again to
The flowchart of
If the latest security checklist doesn't match the security criteria, then the present embodiment proceeds to operation 309 and redirects the user to the Update Server in order to update System Patch, Pattern, software, and so on until a match is made. Client update mechanisms include, but are not limited to, Client Patch update, Anti-virus Pattern update, Anti-Phishing, malicious Uniform Resource Locator Database (URL DB) update, and Agent update, according to embodiments of the present invention. After processing the update procedure, the present embodiment returns to the operation 308 to fulfill basic criteria.
On the other hand, if the security checklist matches the security criteria, then the present embodiment proceeds to operation 310 in which the Policy Server (e.g., 106 or 206 in
The operation 310 of the flowchart in
The flowchart of
As such, the security Policy (e.g., client profile and network ACL) will go with the user, no matter where the user is located. This enables a portable security policy and environment. And also, the policy server can run a virtual platform to make security policy cover all OS including, but not limited to, Windows, Linux/Unix, Apple, and the like. Further, the policy server can comprise protocol which can make the security policy cover all devices including, but not limited to, Cisco, Microsoft, and the like.
While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the principles of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of form, structure, arrangement, proportions, materials, elements, and components and otherwise, used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not limited to the foregoing description.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60809771 | May 2006 | US |
