April 8, 2026 Outline

Reading: text, §5.2.3–5.54, 6.1
Assignments: Project selection, due April 17; Homework #2, due April 24

  1. Bell-LaPadula: formal model
    1. Set of requests is R
    2. Set of decisions is D
    3. WR×D×V×V is motion from one state to another.
    4. System Σ(R, D, W, z0) ⊆ X×Y×Z such that (x, y, z) ∈ Σ(R, D, W, z0) iff (xt, yt, zt, zt−1) ∈ W for each tT; latter is an action of system
    5. Theorem: Σ(R, D, W, z0) satisfies the simple security condition for any initial state z0 that satisfies the simple security condition iff W satisfies the following conditions for each action (ri, di, (b′, m′, f′, h′), (b, m, f, h)):
      1. each (s, o, x) ∈ b′ - b satisfies the simple security condition relative to f′ (i.e., x is not read, or x is read and fs(s) dom fo(o)); and
      2. if (s, o, x) ∈ b does not satisfy the simple security condition relative to f′, then (s, o, x) ∉ b
    6. Theorem: Σ(R, D, W, z0) satisfies the *-property relative to S′ ⊆ S for any initial state z0 that satisfies the *-property relative to S′ iff W satisfies the following conditions for each (ri, di, (b′, m′, f′, h′), (b, m, f, h)):
      1. for each sS′, any (s, o, x) ∈ b′ − b satisfies the *-property with respect to f′ and
      2. for each sS′, if (s, o, x) ∈ b does not satisfy the *-property with respect to f′, then (s, o, x) ∉ b

  2. Using the Bell-LaPadula model
    1. Define ssc-preserving, *-property-preserving, ds-property-preserving
    2. Define relation W(\omega)
    3. Show conditions under which rules are ssc-preserving, *-property-preserving, ds-property-preserving
    4. Show when adding a state preserves those properties
    5. Example instantiation: get-read for Multics

  3. Tranquility

  4. System Z and the controversy

  5. Integrity policy requirements

UC Davis sigil
Matt Bishop
Office: 2209 Watershed Sciences
Phone: +1 (530) 752-8060
Email: mabishop@ucdavis.edu
ECS 235B, Foundations of Computer and Information Security
Version of April 12, 2026 at 3:14PM

You can also obtain a PDF version of this.

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional Built with BBEdit Built on a Macintosh