Understanding and developing role-based administrative models

ABSTRACT

Access control data structures generally need to evolve over time in order to reflect changes to security policy and personnel. An administrative model defines the rules that control the state changes to an access control model and the data structures that model defines. We present a powerful framework for describing role-based administrative models. It is based on the concept of administrative domains and criteria that control state changes in order to preserve certain features of those domains. We define a number of different sets of criteria, each of which control the effect of state changes on the set of administrative domains and thereby lead to different role-based administrative models. Using this framework we are able to identify some unexpected connections between the ARBAC97 and RHA administrative models and to compare their respective properties. In doing so we are able to suggest some improvements to both models.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.6 Security and Protection
          Subjects: Access controls

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT
      H.2.7 Database Administration
          Subjects: Security, integrity, and protection

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.5 Security and Protection (D.4.6, K.4.2)

General Terms:
Security, Theory

Keywords:
ARBAC97, RHA, administrative domain, administrative scope, role-based access control, role-based administration