Consumable Access Control for Blockchains

Consumable Access Control for Blockchains

Glossary

Term Definition Access Control A mechanism for limiting access to resources. Blockchain A distributed, immutable database of transaction records. Blockchain Transaction An operation that is broadcast and verified within a blockchain network, such as the transfer of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency A digital or virtual currency whose transaction security is guaranteed by cryptography. Resource Provider An entity that owns and provides access to a resource. Resource Consumer An entity that requests and consumes a resource. Access Control Role Definition A template that defines access rights for a class of users to a resource. Access rights grant a user the ability to perform specific actions on a resource, such as read, write, or execute. Miner A network node that validates and adds transactions to the blockchain. Provider Record A data structure stored in the blockchain and associated with a resource provider. Consumer Record A data structure stored in the blockchain and associated with a resource consumer. Authorization Server An entity that manages user authentication and authorization. Obfuscation A process of hiding sensitive information, such as encrypting a role identifier. Shared Secret A key known to both the authorization server and the resource consumer that is used to decrypt obfuscated information. Multi-Signature A mechanism that requires more than one key to authorize a transaction. Short Answer Question

What is Role-Based Access Control? Role-based access control (RBAC) is a security mechanism that manages access rights to resources by assigning users to predefined roles. Each role has a specific set of permissions that determine which resources a user in that role can access and what actions can be performed on those resources.

Explain the role of blockchain in access control. Blockchain provides a decentralized, transparent, and secure platform to store and verify access control information. Transaction records on the blockchain are immutable, which ensures the integrity and auditability of access rights.

How is cryptocurrency used for access control in this invention? This invention uses cryptocurrency as an access token. Users must have a specific amount of cryptocurrency to gain access rights to resources. This mechanism allows resource providers to dynamically control access to resources by adjusting cryptocurrency requirements.

What role does the authorization server play in this invention? The authorization server is responsible for verifying the identity of the user and determining their access rights. The authorization server generates a transaction that transfers the cryptocurrency to the user's blockchain record, thereby granting the user access rights to the resource.

Describe the importance of obfuscating role identifiers. Obfuscating role identifiers prevents unauthorized users or entities from inferring the user's role and access rights from blockchain transactions. This enhances the security of the system.

Explain how a resource provider adjusts access to resources based on its own status. A resource provider can dynamically adjust access to resources based on its own status (e.g., resource utilization, network conditions, or security events). For example, if resource utilization is high, a resource provider can increase the amount of cryptocurrency required to access a resource.

How does the present invention ensure that only authorized users can access resources using cryptocurrency? The authorization server includes the role identifier in the transaction when transferring cryptocurrency to the user's blockchain record. The resource provider ensures that only authorized users can access resources by verifying the role identifier and cryptocurrency balance in the user's blockchain record.

Explain how a resource provider determines the amount of cryptocurrency required to access a resource. A resource provider can determine the amount of cryptocurrency required to access a resource based on a variety of factors, such as the scarcity of the resource, the level of demand, the role of the user, and the length of time the resource is used.

How does the present invention handle emergency access requests to resources? In an emergency, a resource provider can provide a large amount of cryptocurrency to the authorization server and authorize it to distribute the cryptocurrency to specific users who need to access the resource.

What are the advantages of the present invention over traditional access control methods? The present invention provides a decentralized, transparent, secure and flexible access control mechanism that eliminates the need for a centralized authority and allows resource providers to dynamically adjust access to resources based on context.