Programming languages and systems security

Abstract

Modern research and development has produced various language-level supports for secure systems design. Safe languages provide a flexible and reliable foundation on which to build. Language-based security abstractions provide systems programmers with an effective means of defining and enforcing security models. Controlled language-execution models can impose fine-grained and powerful restrictions on code at varying levels of trust. Arguably, the most popular modern general-purpose languages, Java and C#, bear witness to the importance of programming language safety and security, being both safe and endowed with sophisticated security models. Research into these topics is ongoing, but perhaps the most important current task is the integration of modern language security technologies (much more efficient and effective than past technologies) with realistic systems design.