Accession Number:

ADA566088

Title:

Multicore Architectures for Multiple Independent Levels of Security Applications

Descriptive Note:

Final technical rept. Apr 2010-Mar 2012

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB ROME NY INFORMATION DIRECTORATE

Personal Author(s):

• Heiner, Jonathan
• Stanton, William
• Froberg, Brandom

Report Date:

2012-09-01

Pagination or Media Count:

77.0

Abstract:

The Multiple Independent Levels of Security MILS initiative is focused on providing a solution to the problem of securing information environments made up of multiple classification domains. We propose that multi-core architectures have the ability to bolster the MILS effort. However, current MILS operating systems are not designed for multi-core platforms. They do not have the hardware support to ensure that the separation kernel policies will be adhered to in a commercial off the shelf COTS multi-core environment. We propose to investigate the applicability of state of the art multi-core architectures to multi-level security through two means 1. Develop low-level software code, e.g. a hypervisor, which can better enforce both time and space separation in commercial multi-core processors by putting individual cores in isolated states when processing sensitive information, such as policy enforcement decisions. 2. Design a new multi-core processor from the ground-up with MILS in mind. This processor will be designed with hardware features to help the kernel enforce the given policies.

Descriptors:

• *COMPUTER PROGRAMS
• *SECURITY
• ARCHITECTURE
• CLASSIFICATION
• CODING
• COMMERCE
• COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT
• DECISION MAKING
• ENVIRONMENTS
• INFORMATION PROCESSING
• LOW LEVEL
• OFF THE SHELF EQUIPMENT
• POLICIES
• PROCESSING EQUIPMENT
• SENSITIVITY
• SEPARATION
• SOLUTIONS(GENERAL)

Subject Categories:

• Computer Systems Management and Standards

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE