Method and systems for controlling access to computing resources based on known security vulnerabilities

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for fine tuning access control by remote, endpoint systems to host systems. Multiple conditions/states of one or both of the endpoint and host systems are monitored, collected and fed to an analysis engine. Using one or more of many different flexible, adaptable models and algorithms, an analysis engine analyzes the status of the conditions and makes decisions in accordance with pre-established policies and rules regarding the security of the endpoint and host system. Based upon the conditions, the policies, and the analytical results, actions are initiated regarding security and access matters. In one described embodiment of the invention, the monitored conditions include software vulnerabilities.

1 . A method operable on a computer for controlling the operation of a computing system in response to a security vulnerability, comprising: 
 the computing system running software subject to at least one security vulnerability;    establishing a policy based on the status of the at least one security vulnerability including at least one rule and an analysis method for determining compliance with the rule;    receiving information relating to the status of the at least one security vulnerability of the software program;    processing the information relating to the status using the analysis method;    determining, based on the processing, the compliance of the at least one security vulnerability in relation to the rule; and    controlling, based on the determining, the operation of the computing system.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the software is a commercial product and the information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability is made available to users of the software.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of receiving information includes the steps of: 
 identifying a remote data repository wherein the information relating to the status of the at least one security vulnerability is available;    periodically checking the remote data repository to determine the availability of the information relating to the status; and    retrieving the information relating to the status.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the step of receiving information further includes the step of storing locally the information relating to the status.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the information relating to the status is selected from the group including a quantitative value and a non-quantitative value.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  and further including the step of, prior to the processing, converting a non-quantitative value to a quantitative value.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the analysis method is a quantitative analysis method.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of controlling includes the step of taking a first action to negate the security vulnerability.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further including the steps of: 
 determining if the first action to negate the security vulnerability was successful; and    taking, if the first action to negate the security vulnerability was not successful, a second action to diminish the threat of the security vulnerability.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the second action is selected from a list comprising restricting access to a resource accessible using the computing system, automatically initiating an update to the software and automatically notifying an operator of the computing system.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  and further including the steps of: 
 identifying within the computing system a plurality of conditions, each condition having a state; and    the policy further based upon the state of the conditions.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein at least one condition state is a quantitative value and at least one condition state is a non-quantitative value and wherein the analysis method includes the combination of a quantitative analysis method and a non-quantitative analysis method.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of identifying includes using a software agent.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the step of controlling includes transmitting to the software agent an instruction to take an action.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the computing system comprises at least one of a host computing system including a computing resource and an end point computing system pursuing access to the resource of the host computing system.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the steps of establishing, receiving, processing, determining, and controlling are performed on at least one of the group comprising the computing system, the endpoint computing system and a policy management system connected to at least one of the computing system and the endpoint computing system.  
     
     
         17 . A system for controlling the operation of a computing system in response to a security vulnerability, comprising: 
 a processor;    a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions for controlling the operation of the processor to perform the steps of 
 identifying the computing system running software subject to at least one security vulnerability;  
 storing a policy based on the status of the at least one security vulnerability including at least one rule and an analysis method for determining compliance with the rule;  
 receiving information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability of the software program;  
 processing the information relating to the status using the analysis method;  
 determining, based on the processing, the compliance of the at least one security vulnerability in relation to the rule; and  
 controlling, based on the determining, the operation of the host computing system.  
   
     
     
         17 . A method operable on a computer for controlling the access of an endpoint computing system to a host computing system in response to a security vulnerability, comprising: 
 identifying within at least one of the endpoint and host systems a plurality of conditions, each condition having a state;    operating on at least one of the host computing system and the endpoint computing system a software program subject to at least one security vulnerability;    establishing a policy based on the status of the at least one security vulnerability and the state of each of the plurality of conditions, the policy including at least one rule and an analysis method for determining compliance with the rule;    receiving information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability of the software program;    receiving information relating to the state of each of the plurality of conditions;    processing the information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability and the state of each of the plurality of conditions using the analysis method;    determining, based on the processing, the compliance of the at least one security vulnerability and the plurality of conditions with the rule; and    controlling, based on the determining, access of the endpoint system to a resource of the host computing system.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of receiving information relating to the status of the security vulnerability includes the steps of: 
 identifying a remote data repository wherein the information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability is available;    periodically checking the remote data repository to determine the availability of the information relating to the status; and    retrieving the information relating to the status.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of receiving information further includes the step of storing locally the information relating to the status.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of receiving information relating to the state of each of the plurality of conditions includes using a plurality of software agents to collect state information and at least one manager to aggregate the state information collected by the software agents.  
     
     
         21 . A system for controlling the access of an endpoint computing system to a host computing system in response to a security vulnerability, comprising: 
 means for identifying within at least one of the endpoint and host systems a plurality of conditions, each condition having a state;    means for operating on at least one of the host computing system and the endpoint computing system a software program subject to at least one security vulnerability;    means for establishing a policy based on the status of the at least one security vulnerability and the state of each of the plurality of conditions, the policy including at least one rule and an analysis method for determining compliance with the rule;    means for receiving information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability of the software program;    means for receiving information relating to the state of each of the plurality of conditions;    means for processing the information relating to the status of the at least one known security vulnerability and the state of each of the plurality of conditions using the analysis method;    means for determining, based on the processing, the compliance of the at least one security vulnerability and the plurality of conditions with the rule; and    means for controlling, based on the determining, access of the endpoint system to a resource of the host computing system.    
     
     
         22 . A method for generating signals to control the access of an endpoint computing system to a resource in a host computing system, comprising: 
 collecting a state for each of a plurality of conditions in at least one of the endpoint computing system and the host computing system;    collecting a status of a known security vulnerability for a software program operating on at least one of the host computing system and the endpoint computing system;    identifying a policy for determining access of the endpoint computing system to the resource, the policy including at least one rule and an analysis method for determining compliance with the rule;    processing, using the analysis method, the state of each of the plurality of conditions and the status of the known security vulnerability;    determining, based upon the processing, if the conditions and the known security vulnerability are in compliance with the rule; and    generating, based upon the determining, a signal usable to control the access of the endpoint computing system to the resource.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the endpoint computing system is selected from the group including a user of the host computing system and an endpoint computing system separate from the host system.  
     
     
         24 . A program product containing instructions to control the operation of a computing system to control the access of an endpoint computing system to a resource in a host computing system, the instructions operable on the computing system to cause the computing system to perform a process comprising: 
 collecting a state for each of a plurality of conditions in at least one of the endpoint computing system and the host computing system;    collecting a status of a known security vulnerability for a software program operating on at least one of the host computing system and the endpoint computing system;    identifying a policy for determining access of the endpoint computing system to the resource, the policy including at least one rule and an analysis method for determining compliance with the rule;    processing, using the analysis method, the state of each of the plurality of conditions and the status of the known security vulnerability;    determining, based upon the processing, if the conditions and the known security vulnerability are in compliance with the rule; and    generating, based upon the determining, a signal usable to control the access of the endpoint computing system to the resource.    
     
     
         25 . A method for developing a compliance policy to control the access of an endpoint computing system to a resource in a host computing system, comprising: 
 identifying a plurality of conditions in at least one of the endpoint computing system and the host computing system, each of the plurality of conditions including an associated state, at least one of the plurality of conditions relating to a risk of a known security vulnerability; and    developing a policy for determining the access of the endpoint computing system to the resource, the policy including a rule and at least one analysis method for processing the states of the plurality of conditions to determine if the plurality of conditions are in compliance with the rule.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the at least one condition relating to a risk of a known security vulnerability includes a state determined at least in part by security risk information provided by a third-party.  
     
     
         28 . A system for developing a compliance policy to control the access of an endpoint computing system to a resource in a host computing system, comprising: 
 means for identifying a plurality of conditions in at least one of the endpoint computing system and the host computing system, each of the plurality of conditions including an associated state, at least one of the plurality of conditions relating to a risk of a known security vulnerability; and    means for developing a policy for determining the access of the endpoint computing system to the resource, the policy including a rule and at least one analysis method for processing the states of the plurality of conditions to determine if the plurality of conditions are in compliance with the rule.