Host-to-host communication in a multilevel secure network
First Claim
1. A network-communication system comprising:
- a plurality of computer systems each of which is configured to operate in accordance with at least one protocol stack assigned to a security level of a multilevel security model, wherein each computer system includes a processor and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the computer system to at least;
perform address discovery or registration for one or more network-layer addresses with a network for an exchange of data between hosts provided by protocol stacks at respective security levels of the multilevel security model; and
exchange data between the hosts, the data being accessible or inaccessible by the hosts according to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies consistent with the multilevel security model,wherein the address discovery or registration is performed using a network management protocol that is trusted and accessible by the hosts without regard to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies;
wherein protocol stacks of the computer systems are configured to provide respective ones of a first host at a first security level, a second host at a second security level that is lower than the first security level, and one of the computer systems is configured to function as a cross-domain solution (CDS),wherein the first host is configured to publish to the network, data on a given topic that is subscribed to by the second host, the data at the first security level being inaccessible by the second host according to the multilevel security model, andwherein the CDS is subscribed to the data as a proxy for the second host, and the CDS is configured to filter the data to produce filtered data at the second security level, and republish the filtered data to the network for receipt by the second host, the data being published to the network or filtered data being republished to the network using the one or more network-layer addresses.
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Abstract
A network communication system includes a plurality of computer systems each of which may operate in accordance with at least one protocol stack assigned to a security level of a multilevel security model. The computer system may perform address discovery or registration for network-layer address(es) with a network for an exchange of data between hosts provided by protocol stacks at respective security levels of the multilevel security model. And the computer system may exchange data between the hosts, with the data being accessible or inaccessible by the hosts according to the respective security levels and mandatory access control information flow policy/policies consistent with the multilevel security model. The address discovery or registration, on the other hand, may be performed using a network management protocol that is trusted and accessible by the hosts without regard to the respective security levels and mandatory access control information flow policy/policies.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A network-communication system comprising:
- a plurality of computer systems each of which is configured to operate in accordance with at least one protocol stack assigned to a security level of a multilevel security model, wherein each computer system includes a processor and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the computer system to at least;
perform address discovery or registration for one or more network-layer addresses with a network for an exchange of data between hosts provided by protocol stacks at respective security levels of the multilevel security model; and exchange data between the hosts, the data being accessible or inaccessible by the hosts according to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies consistent with the multilevel security model, wherein the address discovery or registration is performed using a network management protocol that is trusted and accessible by the hosts without regard to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies; wherein protocol stacks of the computer systems are configured to provide respective ones of a first host at a first security level, a second host at a second security level that is lower than the first security level, and one of the computer systems is configured to function as a cross-domain solution (CDS), wherein the first host is configured to publish to the network, data on a given topic that is subscribed to by the second host, the data at the first security level being inaccessible by the second host according to the multilevel security model, and wherein the CDS is subscribed to the data as a proxy for the second host, and the CDS is configured to filter the data to produce filtered data at the second security level, and republish the filtered data to the network for receipt by the second host, the data being published to the network or filtered data being republished to the network using the one or more network-layer addresses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- a plurality of computer systems each of which is configured to operate in accordance with at least one protocol stack assigned to a security level of a multilevel security model, wherein each computer system includes a processor and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the computer system to at least;
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6. An apparatus of a plurality of apparatuses each of which is configured to operate in accordance with at least one protocol stack assigned to a security level of a multilevel security model, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; and a computer-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, that is non-transitorv and has computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the apparatus to at least; perform address discovery or registration for one or more network-layer addresses with a network for an exchange of data between hosts provided by protocol stacks at respective security levels of the multilevel security model; and exchange data between the hosts, the data being accessible or inaccessible by the hosts according to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies consistent with the multilevel security model, wherein the address discovery or registration is performed using a network management protocol that is trusted and accessible by the hosts without regard to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies; wherein the computer-readable storage medium has further computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the apparatus to further; receive data on a given topic published to the network by a first host at a first security level, and subscribed to by a second host at a second security level that is lower than the first security level, the data at the first security level being inaccessible by the second host according to the multilevel security model; and
at the apparatus configured to function as a cross-domain solution (CDS) subscribed to the data as a proxy for the second host,filter the data to produce filtered data at the second security level; and republish the filtered data to the network for receipt by the second host, the data being published to the network or filtered data being republished to the network using the one or more network-layer addresses. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for a computer system of a plurality of computer systems each of which is configured to operate in accordance with at least one protocol stack assigned to a security level of a multilevel security model, the method comprising:
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performing address discovery or registration for one or more network-layer addresses with a network for an exchange of data between hosts provided by protocol stacks at respective security levels of the multilevel security model; and exchanging data between the hosts, the data being accessible or inaccessible by the hosts according to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies consistent with the multilevel security model, wherein the address discovery or registration is performed using a network management protocol that is trusted and accessible by the hosts without regard to the respective security levels and one or more mandatory access control information flow policies; receiving data on a given topic published to the network by a first host at a first security level, and subscribed to by a second host at a second security level that is lower than the first security level, the data at the first security level being inaccessible by the second host according to the multilevel security model; and
at a cross-domain solution (CDS) subscribed to the data as a proxy for the second host,filtering the data to produce filtered data at the second security level; and republishing the filtered data to the network for receipt by the second host, the data being published to the network or filtered data being republished to the network using the one or more network-layer addresses. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification