Abstract: Disclosed herein are a resource control service, system, method and architecture. A client device's resource access is limited to an approved resource, or resources. A request for a resource is directed to a resource control service that determines whether or not to grant access to the requested resource. Where a determination is made to grant access to the resource, a response is transmitted to the client device, the response redirecting the client device to a second URI for the approved version of the requested resource. The response can be used by the client device request the resource from the location identified in the response.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for generating a masked value from a cryptographically transformed value by using the cryptographically transformed value as a random seed, without decrypting the cryptographically transformed value. A query is evaluated against a set of data to produce a result. The result may be cryptographically transformed or unencrypted. If the result is unencrypted, the result may be cryptographically transformed to produce a random seed. If the result is already cryptographically transformed, then the result is used as the random seed. The random seed is used to generate a masked value, without decrypting the cryptographically transformed random seed value. The masked value conforms to a particular data characteristic such as a data format or a data type, which may be determined from metadata stored in a database, received with a query, or gleaned from unencrypted data. The masked value is returned as a result of the query.

Abstract: Approaches for performing a multiple level authentication on an entity are provided. A primary authentication credential and a secondary authentication credential may be established for a user account. The primary authentication credential uniquely identifies a particular account of the software application. The secondary authentication credential uniquely identifies an entity, such as a user, application, or device, authorized to use the particular user account. Upon receiving a request to access the software application using the particular user account, a determination is made as to whether the request is accompanied by the primary authentication credentials and a secondary authentication credential associated with the particular user account.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for establishing multiple sessions between a database and a middle-tier client. During operation, the system receives a request for a plurality of sessions at a database from a middle-tier client. In response to the request, the system authenticates the middle-tier client, and creates a session between the database and the middle-tier client. The system clones the session one or more times to create the plurality of sessions. Finally, the system sends a plurality of session-handles associated with the plurality of sessions to the middle-tier client. This enables the middle-tier client to distribute the session-handles to end-user clients in response to subsequent requests from the end-user clients to access the database.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that re-establishes communication between a client and a server after an unexpected termination of communication. During operation, the system receives a request from the client at the server to re-establish communication between the client and the server, wherein the request includes a temporary credential. If the temporary credential is valid, the system temporarily re-establishes communication between the client and the server, until the client can be re-authenticated with a permanent credential.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates detecting data tampering within a table in a database. The system operates by hashing a row in the table to create a row-hash. The system then hashes a block of consecutive row-hashes to create a block-hash. Finally, the system signs the block-hash with an encryption key, so that tampering with data in the row will result in an invalid row-hash and an invalid block-hash.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a database server for securing database event notifications. The server includes a session key creation mechanism configured to create a session key when a client registers for an event, a storage mechanism configured to store the session key on the database server, a data accessing mechanism configured to access registration metadata to obtain the session key when the event occurs, a connection mechanism configured to establish a communication channel between the database server and the client, a mutual authenticating mechanism configured to using the session key to mutually authenticate the client and the database server during event notification, and an event notifying mechanism configured to send the event notification to the client.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates distributed processing of database operations. During operation, the system receives a database operation at a distributed command processor, wherein the database operation includes a query language command. Next, the system performs a set of non-data processing operations associated with the database operation to obtain a set of non-data processing results. The system then sends the query language command to a database, which enables the database to execute the query language command to obtain a result.

Abstract: Systems, methodologies, and other embodiments associated with providing multi-layered security for configuration items are described. One exemplary system may include a security logic configured to process the contents of a configuration item based on the source of the configuration item and the integrity of the configuration item. The exemplary system may also include a verification logic configured to further process the contents and to selectively provide the contents. A configuration item may be provided to the security logic by a configuration item provider known to the security logic and related to the security logic by a first set of keys. The security logic may be related to the verification logic by a second set of keys different from the first set of keys.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for generating a masked value from a cryptographically transformed value by using the cryptographically transformed value as a random seed, without decrypting the cryptographically transformed value. A query is evaluated against a set of data to produce a result. The result may be cryptographically transformed or unencrypted. If the result is unencrypted, the result may be cryptographically transformed to produce a random seed. If the result is already cryptographically transformed, then the result is used as the random seed. The random seed is used to generate a masked value, without decrypting the cryptographically transformed random seed value. The masked value conforms to a particular data characteristic such as a data format or a data type, which may be determined from metadata stored in a database, received with a query, or gleaned from unencrypted data. The masked value is returned as a result of the query.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that accommodates different types of verifiers in a computer system. During operation, the system receives a username and a password. The system then computes a verifier based on the password. If the size of the verifier exceeds a storage limit, the system transforms the verifier into a transformed verifier which conforms to the storage limit, thereby allowing the computer system to compare the transformed verifier with a locally stored verifier associated with the username to facilitate user authentication.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for masking index values in a database. During operation, the system receives a request to mask a column in a database, wherein the column is an index-column. Next, the system retrieves a tree which is used to index the column, wherein the tree provides a sorted representation of values in the column. The system then locates the root-node of the tree. Then, for each child-node in the tree, the system determines if the child-node is a leaf-node. If so, the system masks a node-value for the leaf-node without resorting the tree. If not, the system leaves the node-value unmasked.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for managing keys. During operation, the system authenticates a client at a key manager. Next, the system receives a token from the client at the key manager, wherein the token is associated with a customer key, and includes a token authenticator. This token authenticator comprises one-half of an authenticator pair which is used to determine if the client is the owner of the customer key. Next, the system decrypts the token using a master key. The system then verifies a client authenticator, which comprises the other half of the authenticator pair which is used to determine if the client is the owner of the customer key. If the client is the owner of the customer key, the system sends the customer key to the client, which enables the client to encrypt/decrypt data. Finally, the client deletes the customer key.

Abstract: An auditing system receives a set of audit rules from a database administrator, which define a search criteria used to identify a database object that is desired to be audited. The auditing system uses the audit rules to search through a database to identify a corresponding set of database objects that satisfy at least one of the set of audit rules. Then, the system generates audit commands that configure a database management system to audit the identified set of database objects.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that secures a database configuration from undesired modifications. This system allows a security officer to issue a configuration-locking command, which activates a lock for the configuration of a database object. When a configuration lock is activated for a database object, the system prevents a user (e.g., a database administrator) from modifying the configuration of the database object, without restricting the user from accessing the database object itself. The security officer is a trusted user that is responsible for maintaining the stability of the database configuration, such that a configuration lock activated by the security officer preserves the database configuration by overriding the privileges assigned to a database administrator.

Abstract: Approaches for performing a multiple level authentication on an entity are provided. A primary authentication credential and a secondary authentication credential may be established for a user account. The primary authentication credential uniquely identifies a particular account of the software application. The secondary authentication credential uniquely identifies an entity, such as a user, application, or device, authorized to use the particular user account. Upon receiving a request to access the software application using the particular user account, a determination is made as to whether the request is accompanied by the primary authentication credentials and a secondary authentication credential associated with the particular user account.

Abstract: Described herein is an approach that may be used to control access to information requested by a query, where access is granted or denied to all the information requested based on factors that relate to information requested as a whole rather than on individual-by-individual row basis. Also described is a mechanism in which a database server dynamically creates and computes another query in response to receiving a query, and then uses the computed results to determine whether access to the data requested by the received query may be granted.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for automatically classifying data in a database. During operation, the system receives and executes a database operation. Next, the system automatically determines if any data was modified as a result of executing the database operation. If so, for each data item that was modified, the system automatically determines if the data item is associated with a classification-rule. If so, the system automatically reclassifies the data item according to the classification-rule. If not, the system leaves a classification of the data item unchanged.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that decrypts an encrypted column in a row. During operation, the system receives the encrypted column in the row. The system then determines a security domain associated with the encrypted column in the row, wherein the security domain represents a set of columns in rows encrypted using the same key. Next, the system determines a key associated with the security domain. The system then decrypts the encrypted column in the row using the key. Note that using a security domain to represent a set of columns in rows enables the database to grant access to data within the database at arbitrary levels of granularity.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates authenticating a user at a computer system. During operation, the system creates an authentication profile and assigns the authentication profile to a user, wherein the authentication profile specifies authentication criteria. Next, the computer system receives a login request from the user, and in responding to the login request, the computer system checks if the authentication criteria in the authentication profile are satisfied. If so, the system allows the user to login. If not, the user is prevented from logging into the computer system.