MILS network using COTS switches

• US 7,640,433 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Marek, James A., Kim, Sung J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahim; Monjour
• Application Number:
  US11/045,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 713/181, 713/170, 380/29, 707/534, 709/228, 709/201, 434/30, 726/30
• US Class Current: 713/181
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC

Abstract

The present invention is a MILS network system employing functional separation of messages without customized switches. The MILS network system may maintain separation of data while eliminating a requirement of full message encryption. In an embodiment of the invention, a function may be employed whereby a keyed digest of a message is created. The function may receive a message and a key, and may emit a keyed digest value. The key may be representative of a particular level of security, thus promoting the separation of data. Messages may include an embedded keyed digest when sent through a switch to a MILS node. At the MILS node, the keyed digest may be recalculated, if it matches, the message may be passed to a host.

Claims

1. A multiple independent levels of security (MILS) network, comprising:

a first host;

a second host;

a first MILS node coupled to said first host, said first MILS node including

a first keyed digest system;

a second MILS node coupled to said second host, said second MILS node including a second keyed digest system; and

a commercial-off-the-shelf switch coupled to said first and second MILS nodes, said commercial-off-the-shelf switch passing a transmitted message, said transmitted message being one of an unclassified classification domain, secret classification domain and top secret classification domain, wherein said first keyed digest system receives said transmitted message via said first MILS node and produces a keyed digest value embedded within said transmitted message, said first and second keyed digest system employing a key, said key being encrypted, said key being representative of a same classification domain as said a classification domain of the transmitted message, said keyed digest value being of a data size less than a data size of said transmitted message, said transmitted message being passed by said commercial-off-the-shelf switch to said second MILS node, said second MILS node allowing transfer of said transmitted message to said second MILS host if a recalculated keyed digest value matches said keyed digest value embedded within said transmitted message.

2. The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said key is produced by one of said first MILS node or said second MILS node.

3. The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transmitted message is not passed to said second host by said second MILS node if said recalculated keyed digest value does not match said keyed digest value embedded within said transmitted message.

4. The network as claimed in claim 3, wherein an error condition is logged when said recalculated keyed digest value does not match said keyed digest value embedded within said transmitted message.