Aqua Security Software has been granted a patent for a method that enhances software container security by discovering and evaluating credentials before container instantiation. The method identifies unsafe credentials, intercepts runtime requests, detects violations, and implements corrective actions to ensure compliance with safety criteria. GlobalData’s report on Aqua Security Software gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.

According to GlobalData’s company profile on Aqua Security Software, Social data privacy protection was a key innovation area identified from patents. Aqua Security Software's grant share as of July 2024 was 94%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.

Security method for software container credential management

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Credit: Aqua Security Software Ltd

The granted patent US12013928B2 outlines a computer-implemented method and system for enhancing security in software containers by managing credentials. The method involves discovering credentials that a software container is expected to use at runtime, prior to its instantiation from a container image. This discovery process utilizes various sources, including credentials stored in the container image, runtime configuration data, and a secrets management service. The method further identifies an unsafe credential set based on predefined safety criteria, which may include factors such as the duration of credential use, storage location, and vulnerability to dictionary attacks. During runtime, the system intercepts requests from the software container to detect any credential violations and takes corrective actions, such as preventing execution of the request or substituting unsafe credentials with safe ones.

Additionally, the credential safety management system described in the patent comprises processing circuitry and memory that facilitate the discovery and management of credentials. The system can perform pre-runtime scanning and query container orchestrators or secrets management services to gather necessary credentials. Discovered credentials are stored in a separate repository, which may include identifiers for modifiers that can alter these credentials at runtime. The system is designed to evaluate the safety of credentials based on multiple criteria, ensuring that only secure credentials are utilized. Corrective actions can include alerting users about unsafe credential usage or dynamically obtaining safe credentials from a secrets management service. Overall, the patent emphasizes a proactive approach to credential management in software containers, aiming to mitigate security risks associated with credential misuse.

To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Aqua Security Software, buy the report here.

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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.