Imposing Fine-grain Next Generation Access Control over Database Queries

Abstract

In this paper, we describe a system that leverages ANSI/INCITS Next Generation Access Control (NGAC) standard called Next-generation Database Access Control (NDAC) for accessing data in tables, rows, and columns in existing RDBMS products. NDAC imposes access control at the data level, eliminating the need for implementing and managing access control in applications and/or through the use of proprietary RDBMS mechanisms. Consequently, the same policies can protect multiple databases from queries sent from multiple applications. Furthermore, NDAC not only provides control down to the field level, but to varying fields of select rows. NDAC is unique in achieving this granularity of control without the use and coordination of multiple protection mechanisms. Operationally, users issue wide sweeping queries, and NDAC allows access to the optimal amount of data permissible for the user. The method includes an Access Manager for trapping and enforcing policy over SQL queries issued by applications as well as a Translator for converting SQL statements to NGAC inputs and converting NGAC authorization responses to either an access Deny or one or more permitted SQL statements.