Control of database access using security/user tag correspondence table

Abstract

A method and apparatus controls access to data in a database by configuring at least part of the database such that at least some of the data of the configured database is associated with a security tag, configuring a storage structure of user identifiers and associated user tags configuring a storage structure of user tags and associated security tags and mapping a user identifier to at least a sub-set of the data by determining from the storage structure of user tag and associated security tags a security tag or tags appropriate for the user tag of the user identifier and allowing access to the data from the configured database associated with the security tag or tags. By providing a storage structure of user tags and associated security tags it is possible to change the security policy by modification of the data in the storage structure alone without any need to modify the data in the configured database.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.