Networking Aspects in the DPASA Survivability Architecture: An Experience Report

Abstract

The same network infrastructure that is essential for the operation of today's high valued distributed systems can also be misused by malicious attackers. Experience shows that implementing absolute security or preventing cyber attacks completely is infeasible when systems must be highly interconnected and comprise of COTS components with unknown security characteristics. Therefore, focus is shifting towards making high valued distributed systems survivable, enabling them to operate through attacks. This paper focuses on the networking aspects of the DPASA survivability architecture, which was used recently to defense-enable a DoD information system