Context is Everything: FURTHeR's Contextualized Security Framework

N. Dustin Schultz, MS , Richard L. Bradshaw, MS , and Joyce A. Mitchell, PhD

1 1 1 1

Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

What is FURTHeR? FURTHeR is the Federated Utah Research and Translational Health electronic Repository. Empowers researchers with a linked virtual repository integrating biological, clinical and demographic data in realtime. Part of the Biomedical Informatics Core at the University of Utahs Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). Challenges Security is an important cross-cutting concern. Data sources use different usernames, different authorization methods, and different access control mechanisms. Methods Extend popular Spring Security Framework. Current context of execution is considered when applying security. Each context reauthenticates and reloads context-specific user properties, roles, groups, and privileges.

Unauthenticated
Authentication System

Authenticated to FURTHeR
Security Module FURTHeR Namespace

Benefits Authorization happens at multiple levels (within each context). Can handle complex security requirements. Allows for arbitrary collection of attributes to aid in security decisions. Can be selectively applied, does not require all or nothing implementation. Conclusion

CAS

Federated Query Engine

LDAP

SAML
Subscribed

Request Topic
Subscribed

Successfully utilized security framework to meet the needs of federating data between the University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare.

Data Source 1
y t i r u c e S t n Differe d a o l s t x e t n Co , s e l o R t n e r diffe , s p u o r G , s e i t r e Prop s d r o w s s a P and

Data Source 2

Security Module DS 1 Namespace

Data Source Adapter Data Source Adapter

Some data sources do not require explicit authorization beyond FURTHeR's Context
Acknowledgements
This investigation was supported by Public Health Services research grant 5UL1RR025764 from the NCRR and the NCATS, by Department of Health and Human Services grant 1DBRG29425-01 and funds provided by the University of Utah Research Foundation.

Contact Information
Dustin Schultz dustin.schultz@utah.edu