Secure Efficient Cross-domain Protocols

ABSTRACT: Coordinating and sharing information across multi-level security (MLS) networks are of great interest in many military applications. However, it is very challenging to accomplish those goals due to the heterogeneous security classifications of different network domains. The recent proposed cross-domain solutions (CDS) provide initial steps to make such applications possible. However, there are still several issues in the existing solutions, and some of them are: (i) inefficient authentication; (ii) privacy leakage; (iii) unlimited capacity covert channel. In this project, InfoBeyond advocates an Efficient, Secure, and Covert Channel Capacity Bounded (ESC3B) algorithms for the MLS cross-domain environments to address these challenges. First, ESC3B provides an efficient and secure fine-grained authentication scheme which requires each user to store only one key. The key can be used to authenticate several services across the networks. Secondly, an anonymous authentication protocol is provided to the users for service request. The service provider or other third parties cannot infer the user identity and other privacy information. Finally, ESC3B enables reliable communication between network domains by providing feedback channel. The capacity of potential covert channels created by the feedback channel is upper bounded by an arbitrary small value determined by the network designer. BENEFIT: The ability to provide data sharing and cooperation capabilities in MLS cross-domain environments is proving increasingly useful for many commercial and military applications. However, the current approaches are very limited to offer such capabilities without a risk of leaking sensitive information. Our proposed ESC3B provides an innovative approach that provides the cooperating and data sharing capabilities among the heterogeneous security domains. ESC3B represents a vital advance on the frontline of the future MLS environments. Once it is developed as COTS/GOTS products, ESC3B leads to several key business benefits. At first, it provides efficient and secure authentication across domains. ESC3B can be deployed in many commercial as well as military MLS environments in which the cooperation and information sharing across network domains are needed. The proposed framework ESC3B saves the key storage space at the users while simplifying the key management at the service provider. When a key or user is compromised, it requires no key update. These features are highly desirable in many military scenarios where the authentication key can easily be lost or compromised. Secondly, it prevents privacy-leakage free among domains. ESC3B is able to provide privacy-leakage free for the users. The mutual authentication protocol can prevent malicious attacks as well. In addition, the proposed protocol is designed such that it minimizes the data traffic crossing the domain boundaries to limit the leak of sensitive information. Thirdly, ESC3B offers the information and resource sharing and cooperating capabilities which are critical in many commercial and military applications. Many network resources can be fully utilized or reused by users who may reside in different locations. ESC3B promotes the cooperation and resource sharing across the domains greatly saving expense and time. Air Force would gain significant value from the commercialized dual-use ESC3B products. ESC3B can be used in many tactical applications in the military and governmental networks. ESC3B can also be applied for business and commercial networks where the cooperating and information sharing are preferred. The private market size is much larger than that of military applications where the individuals or organizations can quickly cooperate and share information to achieve business opportunities without the risk of sensitive information breach. ESC3B could have a big market on enterprises and organizations. Our effort for the commercial market is to transition the ESC3B technology into various applications and attract a great amount of investments by successfully creating new markets. We will closely work with our partners to transfer this technology into military and commercial domains.