Exploring Hardware-Based Primitives to Enhance Parallel Security Monitoring in a Novel Computing Architecture

Abstract

This research explores how hardware-based primitives can be implemented to perform security-related monitoring in real-time, offer better security, and increase performance compared to software-based approaches. In doing this, we propose a novel computing architecture, derived from a contemporary shared memory architecture, that facilitates efficient security-related monitoring in real-time, while keeping the monitoring hardware itself safe from attack. This architecture is flexible, allowing security to be tailored based on the needs of the system. We have developed a number of hardware-based primitives that fit into this architecture to provide a wide array of monitoring capabilities. A number of these primitives provide capabilities, such as multi-context monitoring and virtual memory introspection, that were not previously possible at the hardware level. Not only does this allow for more robust security-related monitoring when compared to software-based approaches, it also allows the security-related monitoring concepts presented in this research to be applied across a broad range of computing environments.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA469220

Entities

People

  • Stephen Mott

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Computer Architecture
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Cybersecurity
  • Debugging
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Embedded Systems
  • Instruction Set Architecture
  • Intrusion Detection
  • Intrusion Detection Systems
  • Intrusion Detectors
  • Kernels (Operating System)
  • Operating Systems

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing.