Systems and methods of secure self-service access to content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9842218-B1
Application number	US-201514683453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from a user to access particular content. The method also includes determining at least one topic of the particular content. In addition, the method includes determining one or more need-to-access values for the user in relation to the particular content, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are based, at least on in part, on a comparison of the least one topic to one or more topics associated with logged user-initiated communication events of the user. Further, the method includes accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content. Also, the method includes ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, need-to-access criteria applicable to the particular content. Additionally, the method includes, responsive to a determination that the one or more need-to-access values fail to satisfy the need-to-know criteria, denying access by the user to the particular content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising, by a computer system:
receiving a request from a user to access particular content;
in response to the request:
determining at least one topic of the particular content;
determining one or more need-to-access values for the user in relation to the particular content, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are based, at least on in part, on a comparison of the least one topic to one or more topics associated with logged user-initiated communication events of the user on at least one communications platform, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are variable over time in relation to the logged user-initiated communication events;
wherein the determining the one or more need-to-access values comprises determining subject-matter-affiliation data about the user in relation to the at least one topic, the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprising:
identifying, from communications associated with the logged user-initiated communication events, conversations in which the user has participated; and
measuring a proportion of the conversations that contain content suggestive of the at least one topic, the measuring yielding at least one topical metric, wherein the one or more need-to-access values comprise the at least one topical metric;

accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content;
ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, need-to-access criteria applicable to the particular content, wherein the need-to-access criteria comprises a threshold applicable to the at least one topical metric; and
responsive to a determination that the one or more need-to-access values fail to satisfy the need-to-access criteria, denying access by the user to the particular content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprises:
analyzing timing of the conversations, the analyzing yielding at least one timing metric;
wherein the one or more need-to-access values comprise the at least one timing metric; and
wherein the need-to-access criteria comprises a threshold applicable to the at least one timing metric.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprises:
examining relationships among data attributes of the conversations, the examining yielding at least one affiliation-scope metric;
wherein the one or more need-to-access values comprise the at least one affiliation-scope metric; and
wherein the need-to-access criteria comprises a threshold applicable to the at least one affiliation-scope metric.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprises accessing pre-processed subject-matter-affiliation data for the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising, responsive to a determination that the one or more need-to-access values satisfy the need-to-access criteria, automatically granting access by the user to the particular content.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the automatically granting comprises causing the user to be added to an access control list for the particular content.

7. An information handling system comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory, wherein the at least one processor is operable to implement a method comprising:
receiving a request from a user to access particular content;
in response to the request:
determining at least one topic of the particular content;
determining one or more need-to-access values for the user in relation to the particular content, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are based, at least on in part, on a comparison of the least one topic to one or more topics associated with logged user-initiated communication events of the user on at least one communications platform, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are variable over time in relation to the logged user-initiated communication events;
wherein the determining the one or more need-to-access values comprises determining subject-matter-affiliation data about the user in relation to the at least one topic, the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprising:
identifying, from communications associated with the logged user-initiated communication events, conversations in which the user has participated; and
measuring a proportion of the conversations that contain content suggestive of the at least one topic, the measuring yielding at least one topical metric, wherein the one or more need-to-access values comprise the at least one topical metric;

accessing a self-service access policy applicable to the particular content;
ascertaining, from the self-service access policy, need-to-access criteria applicable to the particular content, wherein the need-to-access criteria comprises a threshold applicable to the at least one topical metric; and
responsive to a determination that the one or more need-to-access values fail to satisfy the need-to-access criteria, denying access by the user to the particular content.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 , wherein the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprises:
analyzing timing of the conversations, the analyzing yielding at least one timing metric;
wherein the one or more need-to-access values comprise the at least one timing metric; and
wherein the need-to-access criteria comprises a threshold applicable to the at least one timing metric.

9. The information handling system of claim 7 , wherein the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprises:
examining relationships among data attributes of the conversations, the examining yielding at least one affiliation-scope metric;
wherein the one or more need-to-access values comprise the at least one affiliation-scope metric; and
wherein the need-to-access criteria comprises a threshold applicable to the at least one affiliation-scope metric.

10. The information handling system of claim 7 ,
wherein the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprises accessing pre-processed subject-matter-affiliation data for the user.

11. The information handling system of claim 7 , the method comprising, responsive to a determination that the one or more need-to-access values satisfy the need-to-access criteria, automatically granting access by the user to the particular content.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the automatically granting comprises causing the user to be added to an access control list for the particular content.

13. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
receiving a request from a user to access particular content;
in response to the request:
determining at least one topic of the particular content;
determining one or more need-to-access values for the user in relation to the particular content, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are based, at least on in part, on a comparison of the least one topic to one or more topics associated with logged user-initiated communication events of the user on at least one communications platform, wherein the one or more need-to-access values are variable over time in relation to the logged user-initiated communication events;
wherein the determining the one or more need-to-access values comprises determining subject-matter-affiliation data about the user in relation to the at least one topic, the determining the subject-matter-affiliation data comprising:
identifying, from communicatio

Assignees

• Dell Software Inc

Inventors

• Brisebois Michel Albert
• Johnstone Curtis T
• Le Rudulier Olivier

Classifications

• H04L63/101 Primary

  Access control lists [ACL] · CPC title

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• G06F21/62 Primary

  Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules · CPC title

• G06F21/6227

  where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries · CPC title