Token-based identity management in the distributed cloud

TL;DR

This paper presents a token-based identity management system for distributed cloud environments that enhances security and privacy while reducing communication overhead, with a focus on dynamic permission updates.

Contribution

It introduces an IAM server architecture that manages user privileges and permissions efficiently, integrating with a distributed cloud setup to improve access control and privacy.

Findings

Effective handling of permission updates with valid tokens

Reduced communication overhead in distributed identity management

Enhanced privacy and access control in cloud environments

Abstract

The immense shift to cloud computing has brought changes in security and privacy requirements, impacting critical Identity Management services. Currently, many IdM systems and solutions are accessible as cloud services, delivering identity services for applications in closed domains and the public cloud. This research paper centres on identity management in distributed environments, emphasising the importance of robust up to date authorisation mechanisms. The paper concentrates on implementing robust security paradigms to minimise communication overhead among services while preserving privacy and access control. The key contribution focuses on solving the problem of restricted access to resources in cases when the authentication token is still valid, but permissions are updated. The proposed solution incorporates an Identity and Access Management server as a component that authenticates all external requests. The IAM server key responsibilities include maintaining user data, assigning privileges within the system, and authorisation. Furthermore, it empowers users by offering an Application Programming Interface for managing users and their rights within the same organisation, providing finer granularity in authorisation. The IAM server has been integrated with a configuration dissemination tool designed as a distributed cloud infrastructure to evaluate the solution.