Graph-based access control: Difference between revisions

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'''Graph-based access control''' ('''GBAC''') is a rather[[declarative newprogramming|declarative]] techniqueway forto grantingdefine users[[access ofcontrol|access rights]], task assignments, recipients and content in [[information systemssystem]]s. accessAccess rights are granted to objects like files or documents, but also business objects likesuch as an account. ItGBAC can also be used for the assignment of agents to tasks in workflow environments. Organizations are modeled as a specific kind of semantic graph comprising the organizational structureunits, the roles and functions as well as the human and automatic agents (i.a. Comparedpersons, tomachines). The main difference with other approaches likesuch as [[RBACrole-based access control]] or [[Attributeattribute-based_access_control|ABACbased access control]] the main difference is that in GBAC access rights are defined using an organizationorganizational query language instead of total enumeration.

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Graph-based access control is a rather new technique for granting users of information systems access rights to objects like files or documents but also business objects like an account. It can also be used for the assignment of tasks in workflow environments. Organizations are modeled as a specific kind of semantic graph comprising the organizational structure, the roles and functions as well as the agents. Compared to other approaches like [[RBAC]] or [[Attribute-based_access_control|ABAC]] the main difference is that in GBAC access rights are defined using an organization query language instead of total enumeration.

== History ==

The foundations of GBAC go back to a research project named CoCoSOrg (Configurable Cooperation System) [<ref name="DISS">{{cite book |last1=Schaller |first1=Thomas |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220690241 |title=Organisationsverwaltung in CSCW-Systemen - Dissertation |date=1998 |publisher=Bamberg University |___location=Bamberg}}</ref>] (in English language please see <ref name = "EOMAS">{{cite book |last1=Lawall, Schaller, Reichelt |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283579217 |title=Enterprise Architecture: A Formalism for Modelling Organizational Structures in Information Systems |date=2014 |publisher=Enterprise and Organizatinal Modeling and Simulation: 10th International Workshop CAiSE2014 |___location=Thessaloniki}}</ref>) whereat theBamberg University. In CoCoSOrg an organization is represented as a semantic graph and a formal language wasis used to specify agents and their access rights in a workflow environment. Within the projectC-Org-Project COrgat Hof University's Institute for Information Systems ([http://www.iisys.de/en/research/research-groups/information-management.html iisys]), the approach was extended by features like separation of duty, access control in virtual organizations <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lawall, Schaller, Reichelt|title=Restricted Relations between Organizations for Cross-Organizational Processes|journal=IEEE 16th Conference on Business Informatics (CBI), Geneva|date=2014|pages=74-8074–80}} [</ref> and subject-oriented access control .<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lawall, Schaller, Reichelt|title=S-BPM in the Wild: Role and Rights Management|date=2015|publisher=Springer|___location=Berlin|isbn=978-3-319-17541-6|pages=171-186171–186|edition=1}}</ref>].

The foundations of GBAC go back to a research project named CoCoSOrg (Configurable Cooperation System) [<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schaller|first1=Thomas|title=Organisationsverwaltung in CSCW-Systemen|date=1998|publisher=Bamberg University|___location=Bamberg}}</ref>] (in English language please see <ref name = EOMAS>{{cite book|last1=Lawall, Schaller, Reichelt|title=Enterprise Architecture: A Formalism for Modelling Organizational Structures in Information Systems|date=2014|publisher=Enterprise and Organizatinal Modeling and Simulation: 10th International Workshop CAiSE2014|___location=Thessaloniki}}</ref>) where the organization graph and a formal language was used to specify agents and their access rights in a workflow environment. Within the project COrg the approach was extended by features like separation of duty, access control in virtual organizations <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lawall, Schaller, Reichelt|title=Restricted Relations between Organizations for Cross-Organizational Processes|journal=IEEE 16th Conference on Business Informatics (CBI),Geneva|date=2014|pages=74-80}} [</ref> and subject-oriented access control <ref>{{cite book|last1=Lawall, Schaller, Reichelt|title=S-BPM in the Wild: Role and Rights Management|date=2015|publisher=Springer|___location=Berlin|isbn=978-3-319-17541-6|pages=171-186|edition=1}}</ref>].

== Definition ==

Graph-based Accessaccess Controlcontrol consists of two building blocks.:

* A semantic graph modeling an organization and

* aA query language.

=== Organizational graph ===

Graph-based Access Control consists of two building blocks.

[[File:GBACOrgGraph.pdf|thumb|OrganizationOrganizational Graph in GBAC]]

* A semantic graph modeling an organization and

* a query language.

The organizationorganizational graph is divided into a type and and an instance level. On the instance level there are node types for organizationorganizational units, functional units and agents. The basic structure of an organization is defined using the so called "structural relationrelations". thatThey definesdefine whichthe "is part of"- relations between functional units belongsand toorganizational whichunits organizationas unitwell andas whichthe agentmapping fulfillsof whichagents functionto functional units. Additionally there are specific relationship types like "deputyship" or informs"informed_by". thatThese types can be extended by the usermodeler. All relationships can be context sensitive viathrough the usage of attributes[[Predicate defining(mathematical constraints that have to be fulfilled in order for the arc to be validlogic)|predicate]]s.

==== Organization Graph ====

TheOn the type level isorganizational usedstructures forare thedescribed purposein ofa more general re-usagemanner. It consists of organizationorganizational unit types, functional unit types and the same relationship types as on the instance level. TypesType are typical organization structures thatdefinitions can be used to create new instances or reuse organizationorganizational knowledge in case of exceptions (for further reading see<ref name=DISS/><ref name=EOMAS />).

The organization graph is divided into a type and and an instance level. On the instance level there are node types for organization units, functional units and agents. The basic structure of an organization is defined using the so called structural relation that defines which functional units belongs to which organization unit and which agent fulfills which function. Additionally there specific relationship types like deputyship or informs that can be extended by the user. All relationships can be context sensitive via the usage of attributes defining constraints that have to be fulfilled in order for the arc to be valid.

==== Query Languagelanguage ====

The type level is used for the purpose of re-usage. It consists of organization unit types, functional unit types and the same relationship types as on the instance level. Types are typical organization structures that can be used to create new instances or reuse organization knowledge in case of exceptions (for further reading see ).

In GBAC thea query language is used to define aagents sethaving of agentscertain fulfillingcharacteristics specificor attributesabilities. The following table shows howthe theseusage queriesof canthe bequery usedlanguage withinin the context of an access control matrix to specify access rights to data objects.

The first query means that all managers working for the company for more than asix half yearmonths can read the financial report, andas additionallywell as the managers thatwho are empoweredclassified by the usageflag of specific flag"ReadFinancialReport".

[[File:GBACOrgGraph.pdf|thumb|Organization Graph in GBAC]]

The daily financial report can only be written by the manager of the controlling department or clerkclerks of the department withthat aare specificenabled flag.to do that (WriteFinancialReport==TRUE).

==== Query Language ====

In GBAC the query language is used to define a set of agents fulfilling specific attributes. The following table shows how these queries can be used within an access control matrix to specify access rights to data objects.

The first query means that all managers working for the company for more than a half year can read the financial report and additionally the managers that are empowered by the usage of specific flag.

The daily financial report can only be written by the manager of the controlling department or clerk of the department with a specific flag.

{| class="wikitable"

Line 32 ⟶ 27:

! Data Object !! Read !! Write

|-

| Daily Financial Report || Manager(*).(Now() - Manager.HiringYear() > 0.5) OR Manager.ReadFinancialReport == TRUE || Manager(Controlling) orOR Clerk(Controlling).WriteFinancialReport == TRUE

|}

== Implementation ==

[[File:CORGUsage.jpg|thumb|Usage of C-Org]]

GBAC was first implemented in the CoCoS Environment within the organizational server CoCoSOrg.<ref name=DISS />

The organization graph is maintained by an organization server. This server accepts queries according to the syntax of the organization language. A query is resolved to a set of agents that is send to the calling client as response.

In the C-Org-Project it was extended with more sophisticated features like separation of duty or access control in distributed environments.

There is also a cloud-based implementation<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lawall |first1=Alexander |last2=Reichelt |first2=Dominik |last3=Schaller |first3=Thomas |chapter=Resource management and authorization for cloud services |date=2015-04-23 |title=Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Subject-Oriented Business Process Management |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/2723839.2723864 |series=S-BPM ONE '15 |___location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=18:1–18:8 |doi=10.1145/2723839.2723864 |isbn=978-1-4503-3312-2}}</ref> on IBM's [[Bluemix]]<ref>[http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/bluemix/?cm_mmc=search-gsn-_-branded-Bluemix-general-_-ibm%20bluemix-_-ger-bm-mkt-oww Bluemix]</ref> platform.

In all implementations the server takes a query from a client system and resolves it to a set of agents. This set is sent back to the calling client as response. Clients can be file systems, database management systems, workflow management systems, physical security systems or even telephone servers.

== See also ==

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

* [[Access control list]]

[[RBAC]]

* [[Attribute-based access control]] (ABAC)

Hypergraph-based Access Control

* [[Capability-based security]]

* [[Context-based access control]] (CBAC)

* [[Discretionary access control]] (DAC)

* [[Lattice-based access control]] (LBAC)

* [[Mandatory access control]] (MAC)

* [[Organisation-based access control]] (OrBAC)

* [[Risk-based authentication]]

* [[Role-based access control]] (RBAC)

* [[RSBAC|Rule-set-based access control (RSBAC)]]

}}

== References ==

<references/>

[[Category:Access control]]

[[Category:Computer access control]]