Network Management

In today's society, computers are being interconnected at ever increasing rates - with an apparent goal of seamless global communication. One of the last roadblocks restricting the formation of one globally inter- connected network is the fear of malicious hackers invading protected islands of information, stealing secrets and reaking havoc with an expensive information base. Because of this fear, network architects will continue to use physical isolation or restricted flow of services. Unfortunately for network administrators, these (semi-) isolated networks are usually too large to administer on a hands-on basis and are beyond the capabilities of net management protocols such as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP). Phase I of this effort is to identify techniques for implementing network management protocols in a multi-level secure environment, through the use of Type Enforcement and cryptographic techniques. Phase II of this effort will focus on the development of these protocols iinpleniented on the LOCK computer platform. Anticipated Benefits/Potential Applications - This proposal will examine techniques for implementing network management in MLS networks through a combination of high-grade cryptography and a relatively new security mechanism called Type Enforcement (TE). The combination of these two mechanism permits network management protocols to achieve a global view of the network while still protecting the sensitive information encountered on these networks.