Abstract
Computer security includes overlapping controls in an attempt to provide information privacy, integrity and availability. Many of the common controls include authentication, encryption, firewalls and physical lock-downs. Despite these efforts, security issues at the computer architecture and hardware levels are often overlooked in today's heightened visibility of network related attacks. Never-the-less, secure architectures have been proposed for many decades. In 1994, NIST established the FIPS PUB 140-1 for the security requirements for cryptographic modules; the definition of which covers the architecture hardware components of such a module. Most recently, some secure architectures have been proposed with claims of meeting all of the Level 4 requirements (the highest level of security) of the FIPS 140-1 standard. This talk presents a number of information privacy, integrity and/or availability issues at the architectural level. Some historical comments about secure architectures, especially, the role of encryption modules are discussed. Recent work in the field is described. The FIPS 140-1 and other relevant standards are briefly surveyed. If time permits, comments relating secure architectures to the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace For Comment Draft (a Sept. 2002 document by the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board) will be given.