Database access control

Abstract

A method for database access control includes receiving an access request from a requesting user, the access request identifying one or more data entries stored in a base table storing a plurality a data entries each associated with a data category. The identified one or more data entries from the base table are retrieved and a security table including one or more data categories to which the requesting user is authorized to access is generated based on an identity of the requesting user. The data entries associated with a data category included in the security table are outputted as a result table.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for database access control, comprising:
 receiving an access request from a requesting user, the access request comprising user credentials identifying the requesting user and identifying requested data, the requesting user having access to one or more data categories;   generating a security table that identifies the one or more data categories to which the requesting user has access;   generating, based on a query of a base table that maps each of a plurality of data entries to at least one data category of the one or more data categories, a candidate data entry table that includes data entries identified by the access request and the data categories to which each included data entry is mapped within the base table;   performing a join operation between the security table and the candidate data entry table to generate a result set, each result in the result set comprising a data entry within the candidate data entry table mapped to at least one data category included within the security table; and   providing the generated result set to the requesting user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is dependent on a time that the access request is received. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is based on a data access level indicating a maximum magnitude of data access to specific data entries within the at least one data category. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the base table comprises an encrypted representation of the data entries and the data categories; and   querying the base table comprises decrypting one or more of the encrypted data entries to access the plurality of data entries and corresponding data categories.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more data categories correspond to business entities, organizational groups, class years, social circles, data types, data classes, security levels, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A database access control system, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing executable computer instructions, the instructions comprising instructions for:
 receiving an access request from a requesting user, the access request comprising user credentials identifying the requesting user and identifying requested data, the requesting user having access to one or more data categories; 
 generating a security table that identifies the one or more data categories to which the requesting user has access; 
 generating, based on a query of a base table that maps each of a plurality of data entries to at least one data category of the one or more data categories, a candidate data entry table that includes data entries identified by the access request and the data categories to which each included data entry is mapped within the base table; 
 performing a join operation between the security table and the candidate data entry table to generate a result set, each result in the result set comprising a data entry within the candidate data entry table mapped to at least one data category included within the security table; and 
 providing the generated result set to the requesting user; and 
   a processor configured to execute the computer instructions.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is dependent on a time that the access request is received. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is based on a data access level indicating a maximum magnitude of data access to specific data entries within the at least one data category. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the base table comprises an encrypted representation of the data entries and the data categories; and   querying the base table comprises decrypting one or more of the encrypted data entries to access the plurality of data entries and corresponding data categories.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more data categories correspond to business entities, organizational groups, class years, social circles, data types, data classes, security levels, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A method for database access control, comprising:
 receiving an access request from a requesting user, the access request comprising user credentials identifying the requesting user and identifying requested data, the requesting user having access to one or more data categories;   generating based on the user credentials, a security table that identifies the one or more data categories to which the requesting user has access;   retrieving a candidate data entry table that maps data entries identified by the access request to one or more data categories, the categories including at least one category to which the user has access and at least one category to which the user does not have access;   performing a join operation between the security table and the candidate data entry table to generate a result set, each result in the result set comprising only those data entries within the candidate data entry table that are mapped to at least one data category included within the security table to which the user has access; and   providing the generated result set to the requesting user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is dependent on a time that the access request is received. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is based on a data access level indicating a maximum magnitude of data access to specific data entries within the at least one data category. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the requested data is stored in a base table, the base table storing the requested data in an encrypted format, and wherein providing the generated result set of the requesting user comprises decrypting the requested data before providing the generated result set to the requesting user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more data categories correspond to business entities, organizational groups, class years, social circles, data types, data classes, security levels, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . A database access control system, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing executable computer instructions, the instructions comprising instructions for:
 receiving an access request from a requesting user, the access request comprising user credentials identifying the requesting user and identifying requested data, the requesting user having access to one or more data categories; 
 generating based on the user credentials, a security table that identifies the one or more data categories to which the requesting user has access; 
 retrieving a candidate data entry table that maps data entries identified by the access request to one or more data categories, the categories including at least one category to which the user has access and at least one category to which the user does not have access; 
 performing a join operation between the security table and the candidate data entry table to generate a result set, each result in the result set comprising only those data entries within the candidate data entry table that are mapped to at least one data category included within the security table to which the user has access; and 
 providing the generated result set to the requesting user; and 
   a processor configured to execute the computer instructions.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is dependent on a time that the access request is received. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one data category to which the requesting user has access is based on a data access level indicating a maximum magnitude of data access to specific data entries within the at least one data category. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the requested data is stored in a base table, the base table storing the requested data in an encrypted format, and wherein providing the generated result set of the requesting user comprises decrypting the requested data before providing the generated result set to the requesting user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more data categories correspond to business entities, organizational groups, class years, social circles, data types, data classes, security levels, or any combination thereof.