The Poly^2 Project

Research Areas: End System Security, Network Security,

Principal Investigator: Eugene Spafford; Keith Watson

As modern computer technology advances, manufacturers are able to integrate a large number of processors and processor components into smaller and more unified packages. The results are low cost computer systems with significant multiprocessing capabilities. Can these computing resources be organized to perform dedicated services in a reliable and secure manner? Poly^2 (short for poly-computer, poly-network) is a hardened framework in which critical services can operate. This framework is intended to provide robust protection against attacks to the services running within its domain. The design and implementation is based on sound, widely acknowledged security design principles. It will form the basis for providing present and future services while, at the same time, being highly robust and resistant to attack. A prototype of the new architecture has been developed that provides traditional network services (e.g. web, FTP, email, DNS, etc.) using commodity hardware and an open source operating system. Our efforts include developing and exploring security metrics that we hope will define the level of security provided by this approach.

Keywords: security design principles, reduced architecture, operating system, open source