Patent ID: 8176320

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, using a processing device, a first request, from a first sponsor of an access candidate, for access to a first security level in a computer network, wherein the first security level secures computational resources for accessing electronic data; determining, using the processing device, whether access candidate attributes satisfy access requirements of the resources, such that: if access to the first security level is prohibited, allowing the first sponsor of the access candidate to revise the access candidate attributes and resubmit the revised access candidate attributes for reconsideration and repeating the determining; if access to the first security level is not prohibited, granting access to the first security level; receiving, using the processing device, a second request, from a second sponsor of the access candidate, for access to a second security level in the computer network in response to the granting of access to the first security level, wherein the second security level secures the electronic data; determining, using the processing device, whether the access candidate attributes satisfy access requirements of the electronic data secured by the second security level; obtaining authorization for the second request from a resolution authority if the access candidate attributes fail to satisfy the access requirements of the electronic data in response to a determination indicating that access to the second security level is prohibited; and in response to obtaining the authorization from the resolution authority, granting the access candidate access to the second security level.