Formal Z Specifications of Several Flat Role-Based Access Control Models

Abdallah, Ali E. and Khayat, Etienne J. (2006) Formal Z Specifications of Several Flat Role-Based Access Control Models. In: 2006 30th Annual IEEE/NASA Software Engineering Workshop. IEEE Conference Publications, pp. 282-292. ISBN 0-7695-2624-1

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Abstract

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a high level authorization mechanism in which access decisions are based on the roles that users hold within an organization. Because RBAC offers scalability, consistency and ease of maintenance, it is very useful, particularly for large organizations. RBAC has been used to describe authorization in a wide variety of applications ranging from operating systems and databases to complex information systems. Despite its widespread adoption, however, there doesn't seem to be a common agreement on the semantics of even key RBAC concepts. For examples, the definitions of fundamental terms such as subject, principal, role, task, and permission have been open to many different and sometimes inconsistent interpretations. This paper attempts to clarify and define essential RBAC concepts. Based on these definitions, a variety of state-based flat role based access control models are developed. These models have increasing degrees of complexity and are formulated in the specification notation Z. The starting point is a core RBAC model which, in turn, is successively refined into a series of flat RBAC models with increasing levels of details. The semantics of each model is captured by giving a precise formulation of its corresponding reference monitor which makes access control decisions

Item Type: Book Section
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1109/SEW.2006.20
Dates:
DateEvent
2006Published
Uncontrolled Keywords: semantics, formal Z specifications, flat role-based access control models, authorization mechanism, access control decisions, inconsistent interpretations , Access control, Permission, Authorization, Monitoring, Operating systems, Security, Scalability, Databases, Information systems, Bridges
Subjects: CAH11 - computing > CAH11-01 - computing > CAH11-01-01 - computer science
Divisions: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Computing and Digital Technology
Depositing User: Oana-Andreea Dumitrascu
Date Deposited: 07 Apr 2017 10:22
Last Modified: 22 Mar 2023 12:02
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/4217

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