Authorization Server
Full Title
Access tokens are issued to third-party clients by an Authorization Server with the approval of the resource owner. The client uses the access token to access the protected resources hosted by the resource server. Taken from RFC 6749
Context
- The ultimate purpose of most user authentication is to allow the user, or the user's client, to access protected resources. The abstract concept of an Authorization Server is just the source of the tokens that are sent to the Resource Server to give it the authority it needs to provide access to the protected asset.
- For the purposes of Identity Management this wiki will focus on the use of the Authorization Server.
Problems
- There are a wide range of attacks on the web to try to illegitimately acquire access to protected resources. Nearly of the complexity associated with an Authorization Server to to mitigate those threats.
Solutions
Specific virtual solutions:
Healthcare
See the wiki page Patient Consent for details on getting permission to issue a token for health recous. The following flows follows the pattern fro* User-Managed Access (UMA) 2.0 Grant for OAuth 2.0 Authorization provides consent to the Authorization Server in order to capture Patient Consent.
- Client Requests Resource Without Providing an Access Token with a list of requested access indicating which requests are essential - the proposed solution is for the Resource Server to verify that the client is a HIPAA covered entity in the quickest possible manner. The client MUST know the patient's record location code at the resource server.
- Resource Server Responds to Client's Tokenless Access Attempt - with a list of its capability to respond to the to client's requests in a manner that the user can comprehend and that it can full fill.
- Client Seeks RPT on Requesting Party's Behalf
- Authorization Assessment and Results Determination
- Authorization Server Response to Client on Authorization Failure
References
- D. Hardt, The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework IEtF 6749 https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/pdfrfc/rfc6749.txt.pdf