Publication and Protection of Sensitive Site Information in a Grid Infrastructure
Shreyas Cholia, Robert J. Porter · International Journal of Grid and High Performance Computing · 2009
In order to create a successful grid infrastructure, sites and resource providers must be able to publish information about their underlying resources and services. This information enables users and virtual organizations to make intelligent decisions about resource selection and scheduling, and facilitates accounting and troubleshooting services within the grid. However, such an outbound stream may include data deemed sensitive by a resource-providing site, exposing potential security vulnerabilities or private user information. This study analyzes the various vectors of information being published from sites to grid infrastructures. In particular, it examines the data being published and collected in the Open Science Grid, including resource selection, monitoring, accounting, troubleshooting, logging and site verification data. We analyze the risks and potential threat models posed by the publication and collection of such data. We also offer some recommendations and best practices for sites and grid infrastructures to manage and protect sensitive data.