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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!hadron!inco!mack
From: mack@inco.UUCP (Dave Mack)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: access-lists vs. unix permissions
Message-ID: <314@inco.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-Jul-87 10:57:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: inco.314
Posted: Tue Jul 21 10:57:54 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jul-87 04:03:31 EDT
References: <1334@ssc-vax.UUCP> <860@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> <9811@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Organization: McDonnell Douglas-INCO, McLean, VA
Lines: 32
Summary: B1 and above: Who wants it?

In article <9811@bu-cs.BU.EDU>, bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) writes:
 
> Does anyone know what the market really is for B level or above secure
> machines? It seems to me that very few vendors actually implement it.
> 
> 	-Barry Shein, Boston University

The main customer for B2 and above is DOD and the intelligence folks.
The market there is large, although not in the same class as the commercial
market. The number of RFPs specifying security at B2-B3 is impressive.

The main reason that very few vendors offer B2-B3 systems is that they
aren't ready yet. Honeywell is the only outfit that has successfully
produced (i.e., had products certified by the NCSC) systems at B2 or
higher: the Multics OS is B2, the SCOMP running STOP 2.1 is rated A1.
IBM has announced a B2 secure Xenix for the PC/AT, but I don't believe
it's quite ready yet, or at least not certified yet. (They have an SPD
out for it.) Essentially all of the major computer manufacturers are
scrambling to put together secure versions of their operating systems,
but this is a very nontrivial task. It is generally considered impossible
to take a system which would be certified at C1-C2 and retrofit enough
security to reach B2+. You have to redesign the OS from the metal up.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Dave Mack  (from Mack's Bedroom :<)
  McDonnell Douglas-Inco, Inc. 		DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed
  8201 Greensboro Drive                 are my own and in no way reflect the
  McLean, VA 22102			views of McDonnell Douglas or its
  (703)883-3911				subsidiaries.
  ...!seismo!sundc!hadron!inco!mack
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