Re: Trusted Unices Aren't?

[Rick Smith <rick_smith () securecomputing com>]

At 10:59 AM 10/29/98 -0500, Gordon Greene wrote:
>   ......  I think Multics was the first OS designed
> with MLS in mind.  I don't have direct experience with it, so I don't know
> how far it got, but I distinctly recall Multics being the origin of
> security labels in an OS.

The first mention I remember of security labels was in an obscure system
called the ADEPT-50, which showed up before Multics actually ran (mid 60s
instead of late 60s). The AIM labeling work on Multics took place after the
basic OS was designed, and of course the B2 evaluation didn't happen till
the mid '80s. Multics did some serious innovation, but it can't fairly
claim MLS.

I think it's arguable that only a handful of systems were ever designed
from the ground up for MLS, and those were A1 or A1 candidate systems:
SCOMP, LOCK, GEMINI, and perhaps some custom things like Boeing SNS and
BLACKER. All others tried to graft MLS onto a polyglot of existing
architectural constraints, usually Unix based.

Rick.
smith () securecomputing com