Early Validation and Verification of a Distributed Role-Based Access Control Model

Abstract

To ensure correct implementation of complex access control requirements, it is important that the validated and verified requirements are effectively integrated with the rest of the system. It is also important that the system can be validated and verified early in the development process. In this paper we present an integrated, role-based access control model. The model is based on the graphical behavior tree notation, and can be validated by simulation, as well as verified using a model checker. Using this model, access control requirements can be integrated with the rest of the system from the outset, because: a single notation is used to express both access control and functional requirements; a systematic and incremental approach to constructing a formal behavior tree specification can be adopted; and the specification can be simulated and model checked. The effectiveness of the model is evaluated using a case study with distributed access control requirements.