Combining network endpoint policy results
View Patent ↗An endpoint integrity system controls access to resources of a protected network for endpoint devices attempting to access the protected network. The system may include a number of evaluation modules that communicate with an endpoint device. The evaluation modules generate policy results for the endpoint device, in which each of the policy results assume one of three or more states, called a multi-state policy result. The multi-state policy results are combined to produce a combined Boolean policy result.
1. A method comprising:
identifying, by a device, a plurality of results relating to policies associated with an endpoint,
the plurality of results including a first result and a second result,
the plurality of results being associated with a plurality of states, and
the plurality of states including:
a first state,
a second state that is different from the first state, and
a third state that is different from the first state and the second state; generating, by the device, a particular result based on the plurality of results,
the particular result including a value that corresponds to one of the first state or the second state; and
providing, by the device, the particular result.
2. The method of claim 1 ,
where the first result indicates whether a first type of software is active at the endpoint,
where the second result indicates whether a second type of software is active at the endpoint, and
where the first type of software is different from the second type of software.
3. The method of claim 1 ,
where the first state indicates that the endpoint satisfies a policy of the policies, and
where the second state indicates that the endpoint does not satisfy the policy.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the third state indicates that the endpoint does not satisfy a policy of the policies and that remediation is possible for the endpoint to satisfy the policy.
5. The method of claim 1 , where generating the particular result includes:
combining the first result and the second result based on particular criteria to obtain the particular result.
6. The method of claim 1 , where generating the particular result includes:
generating the particular result based on criteria defined by an administrator of the device.
7. The method of claim 1 , where the endpoint initiates a connection to a protected network.
8. The method of claim 1 , where providing the particular result comprises:
transmitting the particular result to a policy enforcement component that enforces access restrictions to a resource.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a third result based on the plurality of results; and
providing the third result,
the particular result relating to a first access restriction,
the third result relating to a second access restriction, and
the first access restriction being different from the second access restriction.
10. A system comprising:
one or more processors to:
identify a plurality of results relating to one or more policies of an endpoint,
the plurality of results including a first result and a second result,
the plurality of results being associated with a plurality of states, and
the plurality of states including:
a first state,
a second state that is different from the first state, and
a third state that is different from the first state and the second state;
generate a particular result based on the plurality of results,
the particular result including a value that corresponds to one of the first state or the second state; and
transmit the particular result.
11. The system of claim 10 , where the one or more processors are further to:
generate a third result based on the plurality of results,
the third result including the value or another value that corresponds to one of the first state or the second state; and
provide the third result.
12. The system of claim 10 ,
where, when generating the particular result, the one or more processors are to:
generate the particular result based on the first result and the second result, and where the one or more processors are further to:
generate a third result based on the second result and a fourth result of the plurality of results, and
provide the third result.
13. The system of claim 10 ,
where the first state is a pass state, and
where the second state is a fail state.
14. The system of claim 10 , where the one or more processors are further to:
provide, for display, an interface;
receive, via the interface, one or more selections for combining two or more of the plurality of results into the particular result,
the two or more of the plurality of results including the first result and the second result; and
determine criteria for generating the particular result based on the one or more selections.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
identify a plurality of results relating to one or more policies associated with an endpoint,
the plurality of results including a first result and a second result,
the plurality of results being associated with a plurality of states, and
the plurality of states including:
a first state,
a second state that is different from the first state, and
a third state that is different from the first state and the second state;
generate a particular result based on the plurality of results,
the particular result including a value that corresponds to one of the first state or the second state; and
provide the particular result.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , where the one or more instructions to generate the particular result include:
one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
generate a first combined result based on the first result and the second result,
generate a second combined result based on a third result of the plurality of results, and
generate the particular result based on the first combined result and the second combined result.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , where the first result indicates whether a firewall is active or whether antivirus software or spyware software is installed on the endpoint.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , where the third state indicates that remediation associated with a policy, of the one or more policies, is possible.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , where the one or more instructions to generate the particular result include:
one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
generate the particular result based on the plurality of results by applying a Boolean expression to the first result and the second result.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
regulate access to a resource, of a protected network that is connected to the endpoint, based on the particular result.