Preventing theft of quality of service on open platforms

Abstract

As multiple types of traffic converge onto one network, frequently wireless, enterprises face a tradeoff between effectiveness and security. Some types of traffic, such as voice-over-IP (VoIP), require certain quality of service (QoS) guarantees to be effective. The end client platform is in the best position to know which packets deserve this special handling. In many environments (such as universities), end users relish having control over their own machines. However, if end users administer their own machines, nothing stops dishonest ones from marking undeserving traffic for high QoS. How can an enterprise ensure that only appropriate traffic receives high QoS, while also allowing end users to retain control over their own machines? In this paper, we present the design and prototype of a solution, using SELinux, TCPA/TCG hardware, Diffserv, 802.1x, and EAP-TLS.