Re: FW: XP as a base for NetTop

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl@lkcl.net>]

"The goal is to build on National Security Agency (NSA) research using
 virtual machines to provide separation of security domains on one
 desktop.

 The effort uses VMware 3.02, which has already been evaluated by the
 NSA. There are also plans to add support for Microsoft's Virtual Machine
 Monitor. "



vmware, as you are no doubt aware, runs an entirely separate x86
virtual machine (for which they have licensed phoenix bios).

so it's completely compartmentalised and you do not need to add
in any security into the host OS other than banning it from
network access.

this is a _goooood_ thing: with the focus on speed and functionality
(e.g the screen driver redirection layer being removed from
nt 3.51 for the nt 4.0 release) NT has gone downhill to the
quality and security of windows 3.1 - but for worse, because
of the hundred fold increase in code to audit.


another hint is that they are focussing on network access so
presumably that means writing a special / modified VMware network
driver.


... anyway, what's this got to do with SE/Linux? :)

no.

you don't think they're seriously considering running SE/Linux
in those vmware sessions do you?



On Wed, May 26, 2004 at 04:49:00PM -0700, Chris Babcock wrote:
> > Stephen Smalley wrote:
> >> Looks like Microsoft is indeed pushing an XP-based NetTop
> >> called Trusted Multi-Net/Typhon XP, e.g.:
> >>
> >> http://www.computerweekly.com/Article123730.htm
> >>
> > http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/f/8/4f89f896-f020-46d1-adc0-08a18c8432d
> > 5/Trusted%20Multi-Net%20for%20SSE%202003.ppt
> >
> 
> Interesting.
> 
> The slides indicate that in their system threads are able to change what
> context they run in.
> 
> It makes me wonder if they have some magic to prevent threads from
> poluting shared data (unlikely), or if it is just a hack to avoid process
> vs. thread design issues on windows.
> 
> -Chris
> 
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