Multilevel security in a distributed object-oriented system

It is often suggested that distributed computing will be the major trend in computer systems during the next decade. However, distributed systems are vulnerable to a number of security attacks. In this paper we look at the security problems of object-based distributed systems, and propose a model based on labelling for multilevel security. The purpose of this model is to preserve the information flow security in a distributed object-oriented system. We consider the basic concepts of processing objects, and also the security threats to such systems. We postulate various modelling possibilities, and produce a specific set of security properties which describe a multilevel secure object model. This particular model demonstrates how various modelling decisions are reflected in an actual model.