Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and techniques for creating, updating, and using an ACL (access control list). A database system may include a constraining ACL which represents a global security policy that is to be applied to all applications that interact with the database. By ensuring that all ACLs inherit from the constraining ACL, the database system can ensure that the global security policy is applied to all applications that interact with the database. During operation, the system may receive a request to create or update an ACL. Before creating or updating the ACL, the system may modify the ACL to ensure that it inherits from the constraining ACL. In an embodiment, the system grants a privilege to a user only if both the ACL and the constraining ACL grant the privilege.

Abstract: Returning rows having column values masked is disclosed. In response to receiving a database command, a modified database command is created that specifies whether to mask a value by returning a mask of the value instead of the value. In an embodiment, the condition expression is included in a policy function that is referenced by a policy. In an embodiment, the policy determines how the condition expressions are used. The condition expression may be used to determine which column values to mask. The condition expression may also be used to filter which rows are returned.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates accessing a credential. During operation, the system receives a request at a credentials-storage framework (CSF) to retrieve the credential. If a target credential store containing the credential is not already connected to the CSF, the system looks up a bootstrap credential for the target credential store in a bootstrap credential store, which contains bootstrap credentials for other credential stores. Next, the system uses this bootstrap credential to connect the CSF to the target credential store. Finally, the system retrieves the credential from the target credential store, and returns the credential to the requestor.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for providing conditional grants of permission in an externally configured security policy. In one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises reading a condition clause from a grant statement defined in the security policy. The grant statement can cause the granting of permission for a user to access a requested resource. One or more constraints on the grant statement can be determined based on the condition clause. Permission can be granted to access the requested resource based on the one or more constraints.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for providing dynamic and/or conditional constraints on queries based on an external security policy. In one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises receiving from a user a request to access a resource. A condition clause can be read from a grant statement defined in the security policy. The grant statement can define permission for the user to access the requested resource. In some cases, the grant statement can comprise a Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) grant statement. A query associated with the requested access can be modified based on the permission granted to the user. The modified query can then be made to perform the requested access.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that can expire encrypted-data. During operation, the system receives an expiry-request that includes object-identifying information, which can be used to identify a set of database objects that contain the encrypted-data, wherein a database object can be a table, a partition, a row, or a column in a row. Furthermore, a database object can have an expiration time, and it can be stored in an archive, which is typically used to store large amounts of data for long periods using a slower, but cheaper storage medium than the storage medium used by the database. The system then identifies a set of keys for the encrypted-data using the object-identifying information. Next, the system deletes the set of keys, thereby expiring the encrypted-data. Note that, deleting the set of keys ensures that the secure key repository does not contain any stale keys associated with expired encrypted-data.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and machine-readable mediums are disclosed for administering secure stores using a database management system (DBMS). In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, at a DBMS, a command to access a secure store. In response to the command, at least a portion of the contents are loaded into a memory structure.

Abstract: Returning rows having column values masked is disclosed. In response to receiving a database command, a modified database command is created that specifies whether to mask a value by returning a mask of the value instead of the value. In an embodiment, the condition expression is included in a policy function that is referenced by a policy. In an embodiment, the policy determines how the condition expressions are used. The condition expression may be used to determine which column values to mask. The condition expression may also be used to filter which rows are returned.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates encryption of data within a column of a database. The system operates by first receiving a command to perform a database operation. Next, the system parses the command to create a parse tree. The system then examines the parse tree to determine if a column referenced in the parse tree is an encrypted column. If a column referenced in the parse tree is an encrypted column, the system automatically transforms the command to include one or more cryptographic commands to facilitate accessing the encrypted column while performing the database operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for attribute relevant access control policies is provided. According to one embodiment, a determination is made as to whether to modify a query based on which attributes of a database object are referenced in the query. Further, if the query references one or more attributes of the database object that are restricted, the query may be modified based on attribute restriction metadata. According to another embodiment, users are restricted from accessing data from the restricted attributes by masking the data before returning it to the users. According to yet another embodiment, certain data from restricted attributes may be masked before returning it to users while other data from restricted attributes may be returned without modification.