US 9,003,479 B2Granted

Uniformly transforming the characteristics of a production environment

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsAnnemarie R. Fitterer, Nicholas S. Lloyd, Rama Mohan Thulasi Reddy, Aruna Yedavilli

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for generating a secure sandbox environment. A computer identifies components of a production environment that utilizes sensitive information during operation. The components of the production environment can include one or more server computers, one or more storage devices, and one or more applications. The computer receives a security policy that defines what constitutes sensitive information, and in response identifies the sensitive information of the production environment. The computer modifies the sensitive information such that the production environment can utilize the sensitive information without error, and such that the sensitive information cannot be identified from the modified sensitive information. The computer generates the sandbox environment, based at least in part, on the identified components of the production environment and the modified sensitive information.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A computer program product for generating a secure sandbox environment, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to identify components of a production environment including one or more server computers, one or more storage devices, and one or more applications, wherein the production environment includes sensitive information and utilizes the sensitive information during operation;
program instructions to receive a security policy that defines which information included in the production environment is sensitive information, and in response, identifying the sensitive information that is stored in the production environment based on the received security policy, wherein the identified sensitive information comprises:
a first set of sensitive information that includes user names and passwords, and a second set of sensitive information that includes confidential data that the production environment utilizes after a login to the production environment;
program instructions to modify the second set of sensitive information that is stored in the production environment, in a manner that allows the production environment to utilize the modified sensitive information without error or additional modification to the modified sensitive information, and the identified sensitive information cannot be identified from the modified sensitive information;
and
program instructions to generate the sandbox environment based, at least in part, on the identified components of the production environment and the modified sensitive information, wherein the generated sandbox environment is capable of utilizing the modified sensitive information in the same manner that the production environment utilizes sensitive information.

4 more elements

A computer system for generating a secure sandbox environment, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;
one or more computer-readable storage media;
program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to identify components of a production environment including one or more server computers, one or more storage devices, and one or more applications, wherein the production environment includes sensitive information and utilizes sensitive information during operation;
program instructions to receive a security policy that defines which information included in the production environment is sensitive information, and in response, identifying the sensitive information that is stored in the production environment based on the received security policy, wherein the identified sensitive information comprises:
a first set of sensitive information that includes user names and passwords, and a second set of sensitive information that includes confidential data that the production environment utilizes after a login to the production environment;
program instructions to modify the second set of sensitive information that is stored in the production environment, in a manner that allows the production environment to utilize the modified sensitive information without error or additional modification to the modified sensitive information, and the identified sensitive information cannot be identified from the modified sensitive information;
and
program instructions to generate the sandbox environment based, at least in part, on the identified components of the production environment and the modified sensitive information, wherein the generated sandbox environment is capable of utilizing the modified sensitive information in the same manner that the production environment utilizes sensitive information.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/710,597Filed 11 Dec 2012
Published: US 2014/0165129 A112 Jun 2014
Granted: 7 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06F 21/57
Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems: certifying or…
G06F 21/10
Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity: protecting distributed…
G06F 21/53
During program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow: by executing in a restricted environment, e.g.…
G06F 9/44
Using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs: arrangements for executing specific…