Embedded Capability-Based Operating Systems

Commercial and Military embedded systems are lacking security properties as demonstrated by the increase in system failures and service disruptions. These breaches are caused by the inability of the operating system to recognize and/or prevent intrusion by unauthorized agents. A family of reliable operating systems (EROS) has been developed and has been recognized by DARPA as a way of solving these problems. The study identifies key tasks involved in accomplishing the OS port and evaluates its probability of success. A major innovation introduced by the ASD team is the use of a bootstrap architecture that guarantees the integrity of the system while adding another layer of security. As part of its commercialization plan, ASD has already interested one of its customers in enhancing the security capability of their sensor network. AFCO Systems Development (ASD) will provide convincing evidence that EROS can be ported to an embedded computer. The EROS family of systems was selected for this purpose because of their capability-based properties and acceptance by DARPA. The team assembled to accomplish this effort is eminently qualified because of its intimate knowledge of EROS, its derivatives, their experience in designing embedded systems, and their innovative approach.