1. Web Information Systems Engineering (WISE)
Security for Web Information Systems: Towards Compromise-Resilient Architectures
Web Information Systems Engineering (WISE)
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2. Introduction
Security services play an important role in assuring the reliability and integrity of any information system
The dynamic, distributed nature of Web Information Systems also introduces multiple points of potential security compromise
Compromise resilience is as important as compromise resistance
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3. Basic Model Model Agents access Web information resources
Data
Resource
Agent
Model
Agents access Web information resources
Resources provide services and process data
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4. Security Services Authentication: Who are you?
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication: Who are you?
Authorization: What can you do?
Data protection: How is the data secured?
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5. Authentication Approaches Who are you?
Agent
Resource
Data
Agents, resources exchange claims of identity
Authentication authority issues credentials, helps validate claims
Authentication Authority
Agents and resources have authentication credentials associated with their identities
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6. Authorization Approaches What can you do?
Agent
Resource
Data
Authorization authority supports policy decisions
Resources enforce policy
Authorization Authority
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7. Data Protection Approaches How is the data secured?
Agent
Resource
Stored data is encrypted
Key authority manages keys
-- which also need access control!
Key Authority
Agents, resources exchange data through a secure channel
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8. Typical Security Architecture
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Authorization Authority
Authorities support agents, resources in establishing security
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9. Potential Security Compromises
Attack
Agent
Attack
Resource
Attack
Data
Attack
Authentication Authority
Attack
Key Authority
Compromises happen. What’s the impact?
Replicated, mobile nature of system introduces multiple points of compromise
Authorization Authority
Attack
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10. Authentication Compromises
Agent
Attack
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Authorization Authority
Agent can be impersonated to resource
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11. Authentication Compromises
Agent
Attack
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Authorization Authority
Resource can be impersonated to agent
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12. Authentication Compromises
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Attack
Key Authority
Authorization Authority
Anyone can be impersonated!
Attack the authority, and/or its administrators
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13. Authorization Compromises
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Attack
Authorization Authority
Anyone can be authorized!
Attack the authority, and/or its administrators
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14. Data Protection Compromises
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Attack
Any key can be recovered!
But data remains secure unless encrypted data also compromised
Authorization Authority
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15. Data Protection Compromises
Agent
Resource
Attack
Data
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Authorization Authority
Any encrypted data can be recovered!
But data remains secure unless keys also compromised
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16. Compromise Resilience
Attack
Agent
Attack
Resource
Attack
Data
Attack
Authentication Authority
Attack
Key Authority
Attack
Authorization Authority
How do you mitigate the risk?
Resilience vs. resistance
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17. Authentication Compromise Resilience
Agent
Resource
Data
Agent’s credentials should be short-lived and context-specific
Home agent supports agent in obtaining them
Resource’s credentials can be similarly strengthened
Authentication Authority
Home Agent
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18. Authentication Compromise Resilience
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication authority’s credentials and validation data should be short-lived
Master authority manages distribution of data and credentials
Authentication Authority
Home Agent
Master Authentication Authority
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19. Authentication Compromise Resilience
Agent
Resource
Data
Authentication Authority
Home Agent
Multi-administrator and multi-authority approaches can also help
Master Authentication Authority
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20. Authorization Compromise Resilience
Agent
Resource
Data
Authorization Authority
Authorization authority’s credentials should be short-lived
Multi-administrator or -authority also helps
Master Authorization Authority
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21. Data Protection Compromise Resilience
Agent
Resource
Data
Key Authority
Key Authority
Key Authority
Key Authority
Secret sharing reduces impact of compromise of one key authority
Trusted execution protects keys in field
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22. Data Protection Compromise Resilience
Agent
Resource
Data
Key Authority
Key Authority
Key Authority
Key Authority
Proactive secret sharing maintains resilience by updating shares periodically
Distributed cryptography uses keys in split form
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23. A Resilient Security Architecture Anticipating compromise mitigates risk
Resilience Manager
Agent
Resource
Data
Key Authority
Key Authority
Authentication Authority
Key Authority
Authorization Authority
Home Agent
Master Authentication Authority
Master Authorization Authority
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24. Observations
Countermeasures such as short-lived, context-specific credentials, secret sharing limit impact of security compromises
The distributed nature of Web Information Systems facilitates such countermeasures
New components easily introduced into architecture
Web Information Systems can lead the industry in compromise resilience
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25. Conclusion: Two Questions
What do you call an attacker who compromises a Web Information System?
Answer : a WISE-Cracker
What do you call a Web Information System that is resilient against such compromise?
Answer : a Web Information System Engineered with Resilience
= WISER
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26. RSA Security helps organizations and individuals confidently protect identities and digital assets (intellectual property).
The company secures more than 15 million user identities, safeguards trillions of business transactions annually and manages the confidentiality of data in tens of thousands of applications worldwide.
RSA Security’s reputation is built on a 20-year history of ingenuity, leadership and proven technologies, and our more than 18,000 customers and 1000 technology and integration partners worldwide.
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