Attribute-based encryption with break-glass

Abstract

Attribute-based Encryption (ABE) allows for implementing fine-grained decentralized access control based on properties or attributes a user has. Thus, there is no need for writing detailed, user-based policies in advance. This makes ABE in particular interesting for implementing security mechanisms in dynamic environments such as ubiquitous computing, disaster management, or health-care. For supporting the latter two application areas, common ABE approaches lack one important feature: break-glass, i. e., the controlled overriding of access control restrictions. In this paper we present an integration of break-glass into an approach for end-to-end secure information sharing using ABE techniques. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2010.