Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for improving differentiation in a gesture based security system is described. An image based feed from a camera is received by a gesture based security system. The camera views a secured area. The system recognizes a gesture within the feed. Non-gesture metadata is associated with the recognized gesture. The system determines whether the recognized gesture is an approved gesture within the secured area according to the non-gesture metadata associated with the recognized gesture.

Abstract: Using mobile devices in a gesture based security system is described. An image based feed is received from a camera incorporated in a first mobile device. The first mobile device is in communication with the gesture based security system. The camera has a view of one of a plurality of secured areas monitored by the gesture based security system. A gesture is recognized within the feed. Non-gesture metadata from the mobile device is associated with the recognized gesture. The non-gesture metadata is used to determine that the image based feed is a view of a first secured area of the plurality of secured areas. The determination whether the recognized gesture is an approved gesture within the first secured area is made according to non-gesture metadata associated with the recognized gesture.

Abstract: This disclosure provides the ability for a cloud application to specify its security requirements, the ability to have those requirements evaluated, e.g., against a specific cloud deployment environment, and the ability to enable the application to control a cloud-based security assurance service to provision additional security technology in the cloud to support deployment (or re-deployment elsewhere) of the application if the environment does not have the necessary topology and security resources deployed. To this end, the application queries the service by passing a set of application-based security rights. If the security capabilities provided by the security assurance service are sufficient or better than the application's security rights, the application functions normally. If, however, the security environment established by the security assurance service is insufficient for the application, the application is afforded one or more remediation options, e.g.

Abstract: A technique to enforce a physical security constraint leverages a user's mobile device while at the same time enabling the user to continue use of the device for appropriate purposes within a restricted area. A user's access to a restricted area with his or her mobile device in effect is “conditioned” upon installation (on the device) of an endpoint agent that controls features of the mobile device based on one or more factors, such as the user's role, a current location of the user within the restricted area, and other criteria as defined in a security policy. Preferably, the agent is instantiated automatically when the user enters the restricted area, with the device then restored to its prior state when the user leaves the restricted area. The particular features of the mobile device that are controlled may be varied, even within particular zones of the restricted area itself.

Abstract: This disclosure involves the notion of using physical objects to generate public key-based authenticators and, in particular, to use “everyday” physical objects to create a generator seed for a key generator that will use that seed to generate a key pair comprising a public key, and its associated private key. In a preferred approach, the physical object is used to create a digital representation (of the physical object) that, together with some uniqueness associated to the user, gives rise to a key generator seed value. Without knowledge of (a) the physical object itself, (b) how the physical object characteristic is converted (to a digital representation), and (c) the uniqueness value, an attacker cannot reproduce the key generator seed (or the key(s) generated from that seed).

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product manage a plurality of VPN tunnels between a first cloud and a second cloud in a hybrid cloud environment is described. A method in a first VPN agent manages a first VPN tunnel in a plurality of VPN tunnels between a first cloud and a second cloud in a hybrid cloud environment. The VPN agent receives a request from a VPN manager. The request includes a first set of requirements for the first VPN tunnel in the plurality of VPN tunnels. The VPN agent creates the first VPN tunnel according to the first set of requirements. A modification request is received from the VPN manager containing a second set of requirements. The VPN agent tunes the first VPN tunnel according to a second set of requirements. The tuning of the first VPN tunnel can include merging the first VPN tunnel with a second VPN tunnel, or splitting the first VPN tunnel into a first and second VPN tunnels.

Abstract: A user state tracking and anomaly detector for multi-tenant SaaS applications operates in association with a log management solution, such as a SIEM. A given SaaS application has many user STATES, and the applications often have dependencies on one another that arise, for example, when a particular application makes a request (typically on behalf of a user) to take some action with respect to another application. The detector includes a mapper that maps the large number of user STATES to a reduced number of mapped states (e.g., “red” and “green”), and a dependency module that generates user-resource dependency graphs. Using a dependency graph, a SaaS modeler in the detector checks whether a particular dependency-based request associated with a SaaS application is valid. State and dependency information generated by the mapper and dependency module are reported back to the log management solution to facilitate improved logging and anomaly detection.

Abstract: This disclosure involves the notion of using physical objects to generate public key-based authenticators and, in particular, to use “everyday” physical objects to create a generator seed for a key generator that will use that seed to generate a key pair comprising a public key, and its associated private key. In a preferred approach, the physical object is used to create a digital representation (of the physical object) that, together with some uniqueness associated to the user, gives rise to a key generator seed value. Without knowledge of (a) the physical object itself, (b) how the physical object characteristic is converted (to a digital representation), and (c) the uniqueness value, an attacker cannot reproduce the key generator seed (or the key(s) generated from that seed).

Abstract: A log management service provides automated log management for any applications deployed on a cloud. A security profile defining the logging requirements for the application is associated with the application. During deployment, a deployment appliance queries the service, providing an application context and deployment topology. The log management service references the supplied application context and deployment topology against the defined log requirements in the security profile and, in response, determines an applicable set of log files, residency and longevity requirements. The log management service then identifies/specifies the log collection resources and requirements that are necessary and instructs the requesting deployment process to configure the one or more log sources and event collectors as needed.

Abstract: A plurality of virtual private network (VPN) tunnels between a first cloud and a second cloud in a hybrid cloud environment are managed by a VPN Manager. A request including a first set of requirements is received from a first cloud application resident in the first cloud for a first VPN tunnel. The request is sent to a system in a first cloud, wherein the first system creates the first VPN tunnel according to the first set of requirements. The VPN Manager receives an event pertaining to the first VPN tunnel. In response to the event, the VPN Manager sends a modification request to the first system containing a second set of requirements. The first system tunes the first VPN tunnel according to a second set of requirements.

Abstract: This disclosure provides the ability for a cloud application to specify its security requirements, to ability to have those requirements evaluated, e.g., against a specific cloud deployment environment, and the ability to enable the application to control a cloud-based security assurance service to provision additional security technology in the cloud to support deployment (or re-deployment elsewhere) of the application if the environment does not have the necessary topology and security resources deployed. To this end, the application queries the service by passing a set of application-based security rights. If the security capabilities provided by the security assurance service are sufficient or better than the application's security rights, the application functions normally. If, however, the security environment established by the security assurance service is insufficient for the application, the application is afforded one or more remediation options, e.g.

Abstract: A cloud infrastructure security assurance service is enhanced to facilitate bursting of cloud applications into other cloud infrastructures. The security assurance service provides a mechanism to enable creation and management of secure application zones within a cloud infrastructure. When the security assurance service receives an indication that a workload associated with a cloud application triggers a cloud burst, the service is extended into a new cloud infrastructure. Once the security assurance service is instantiated in the new cloud infrastructure, it identifies the broad security requirements of the application, as well as the security capabilities of the new environment. Using this information, the security assurance service computes a minimal security environment needed by the cloud application for the burst operation.

Abstract: Access to a privileged account is managed by first requiring authentication of a user logging into the account and then performing a policy evaluation to determine whether the identified user is allowed to log in using the privileged identity. Preferably, the authentication is a two factor authentication. The policy evaluation preferably enforces a policy, such as a role-based access control, and a context-based access control, a combination of such access controls, or the like. Thus, according to this approach, the entity is provided access to the privileged account if the user's identity is verified and a policy is met. In the alternative, the entity is denied access to the privileged account if either the authentication fails, or (assuming authentication does not fail) policy criteria for the user is not met.

Abstract: A technique to enforce a physical security constraint leverages a user's mobile device while at the same time enabling the user to continue use of the device for appropriate purposes within a restricted area. A user's access to a restricted area with his or her mobile device in effect is “conditioned” upon installation (on the device) of an endpoint agent that controls features of the mobile device based on one or more factors, such as the user's role, a current location of the user within the restricted area, and other criteria as defined in a security policy. Preferably, the agent is instantiated automatically when the user enters the restricted area, with the device then restored to its prior state when the user leaves the restricted area. The particular features of the mobile device that are controlled may be varied, even within particular zones of the restricted area itself.

Abstract: A technique to enforce a physical security constraint leverages a user's mobile device while at the same time enabling the user to continue use of the device for appropriate purposes within a restricted area. A user's access to a restricted area with his or her mobile device in effect is “conditioned” upon installation (on the device) of an endpoint agent that controls features of the mobile device based on one or more factors, such as the user's role, a current location of the user within the restricted area, and other criteria as defined in a security policy. Preferably, the agent is instantiated automatically when the user enters the restricted area, with the device then restored to its prior state when the user leaves the restricted area. The particular features of the mobile device that are controlled may be varied, even within particular zones of the restricted area itself.

Abstract: Identity context-based access control is implemented by generating an identity context expression from user identity data. In particular, users are clustered based on combinations of one or more attributes. These clusters comprise one or more identity context(s). Preferably, an intersection of attribute sets of each user in the cluster is formed. In addition, an intersection of attribute sets of each user not in the cluster also is formed. If the attribute set that is common across the cluster of users is not a subset of the attribute set that is common across the rest of the users, then the attribute set forms a unique identity context expression. To reduce the number of roles used in role-based access control (RBAC), at least one role is replaced with an identity context expression. Run-time access control is then enabled.

Abstract: Access to a privileged account is managed by first requiring authentication of a user logging into the account and then performing a policy evaluation to determine whether the identified user is allowed to log in using the privileged identity. Preferably, the authentication is a two factor authentication. The policy evaluation preferably enforces a policy, such as a role-based access control, and a context-based access control, a combination of such access controls, or the like. Thus, according to this approach, the entity is provided access to the privileged account if the user's identity is verified and a policy is met. In the alternative, the entity is denied access to the privileged account if either the authentication fails, or (assuming authentication does not fail) policy criteria for the user is not met.