Layered multipoint network defense and security policy enforcement

This paper discusses the enhancement of security in general purpose operating systems, especially related to threats caused by internetworking, using extensions to operating systems. Such mechanisms have a significantly larger basis for reaching security policy decisions than older host-level security mechanisms and firewalls. By layering defensive mechanisms yet enforcing a consistent security policy across the security layers, goals such as workload distribution, vulnerability compartmentalization, and hierarchical refinement of security policies can be achieved. Keywords— Security Policy, Operating System Extension, Firewalling, Access Control, Auditing