The Design of a Cryptographic Security Architecture

Traditional security toolkits have concentrated mostly on defining a programming interface (API) and left the internals up to individual implementors. This paper presents a design for a portable, flexible security architecture based on traditional computer security models involving a security kernel which controls access to security-relevant objects and attributes based on a configurable security policy. Layered on top of the kernel are various objects which abstract core functionality such as encryption and digital signature capabilities, certificate management, and secure sessions and data enveloping (email encryption) in a manner which allows them to be easily moved into cryptographic devices such as smart cards and crypto accelerators for extra performance or security. The versatility of the design has been proven through its use in implementations ranging from from 16-bit microcontrollers through to supercomputers, as well as a number of unusual areas such as security modules in ATM's.