A Framework for Threat Assessment in Access Control Systems

Abstract

Abstract. We describe a framework for threat assessment specifically within the context of access control systems, where subjects request access to resources for which they may not be pre-authorized. The framework that we describe includes four different approaches for conducting threat assessment: an object sensitivity-based approach, a subject trustworthiness-based approach and two additional approaches which are based on the difference between object sensitivity and subject trustworthiness. We motivate each of the four approaches with a series of examples. We also identify and formally describe the properties that are to be satisfied within each approach. Each of these approaches results in different threat orderings, and can be chosen based on the context of applications or preference of organizations.

Risk Management in Access Control Policies

“…Authors in [18] proceed as in [6]. The difference is just that while the late decide to allow access only and only if the trustworthiness is more than the clearance, in [18] authors treat the problem of unauthorized access by identifying different cases : they consider the level of the object sensitivity score compared to that of the subject trustworthiness score and vice versa.…”