MLS and keys

[teb@saturn.sys.acc.com (Tom Benkart)]

Any systems I am aware of which support multiple hierarchical levels
require different keys for the different levels.  That means some
type of key ID must be carried in the SAID, since addresses alone
are not sufficient to distinguish between the different keys for
different levels.  Different keys may not be desirable, but they
are required in every MLS situation I know of.  Short of persuading
the current users to back off on that requirement, I don't see what
other choice we have besides supporting it.  That feature does not
have to be used, but the mechanism should exist.

This is really a separate (albeit related) issue from binding the
label to the protected data.  The SAID can not include any information
which would reveal the original classification of the datagram.  You
could detect that multiple keys are being used (presumably for different
levels), but you have no idea what those levels are.

Tom Benkart
ACC Systems

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