Framework for automated dissemination of security metadata for distributed trust establishment

A computer-implemented method for registering a relying party with a security service, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a first module of the security service, a registration request from a registration process, wherein the registration request includes an identity of a requesting user, a password of the requesting user, a location of a relying party agent, and a name of a relying party agent, the relying party agent representing a component of the relying party that is configured to interface the relying party with the security service;
• authenticating, at the first module, the identity of the requesting user;
• determining, at the first module, whether a user role of the requesting user is authorized to submit the registration request;
• generating, at a second module of the security service, an identifier and security metadata for the relying party agent, the identifier and the security metadata being unique to the relying party agent;
• storing the identifier, the security metadata, the location of the relying party agent, and the name of the relying party agent in a database accessible to the security service;
• and
• transmitting the identifier and the security metadata to the registration process, the registration process being configured to store the identifier and the security metadata in a configuration file accessible to the relying party agent, the relying party agent being configured to access the security metadata stored in the configuration file to interface with the security service when a security-related function needs to be performed.

A system for distributing security metadata, comprising:

• a first data storage device operable to store a plurality of security metadata;
• and
• a first server in communication with the first data storage device, the first server executing an instance of a first service, the first service configured to:
• receive a request for security metadata from a process associated with a second service;
• generate an identifier and security metadata for the second service, the identifier and the security metadata being unique to the second service;
• store the identifier and the security metadata in the first data storage device;
• and
• transmit the identifier and the security metadata to the process associated with the second service, the process being configured to store the identifier and the security metadata in memory, the second service being configured to access the security metadata stored in the memory to encrypt a first communication and decrypt a second communication.

A machine-readable medium for a computer system, the machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to distribute security metadata by:

• receiving at the computer system a request for security metadata, the request being received from a process associated with an application service;
• generating an identifier and security metadata for the application service, the identifier and the security metadata being unique to the application service;
• storing the identifier and the security metadata in a first memory accessible to the computer system;
• and
• transmitting the identifier and the security metadata to the process associated with the application service, the process being configured to store the identifier and the security metadata in a second memory, the second service being configured to access the security metadata stored in the second memory to encrypt a first communication and decrypt a second communication.