Supporting attribute-based access control with ontologies

In highly open systems like the Internet, attribute-based access control (ABAC) has proven its appropriateness. The specification and maintenance of ABAC policies however has turned out to be complex and error-prone, especially if heterogeneous attribute schemes are involved. Here, the arising semantic Web can contribute to a solution. This paper presents an approach based on an extension of the established XACML standard. It simplifies the policies by providing an ontology-based attribute management facility.