Abstract
We describe a general architecture for intrusion-tolerant enterprise systems and the implementation of an intrusion-tolerant Web server as a specific instance. The architecture comprises functionally redundant COTS servers running on diverse operating systems and platforms, hardened intrusion-tolerance proxies that mediate client requests and verify the behavior of servers and other proxies, and monitoring and alert management components based on the EMERALD intrusion-detection framework. Integrity and availability are maintained by dynamically adapting the system configuration in response to intrusions or other faults. The dynamic configuration specifies the servers assigned to each client request, the agreement protocol used to validate server replies, and the resources spent on monitoring and detection. Alerts trigger increasingly strict regimes to ensure continued service, with graceful degradation of performance, even if some servers or proxies are compromised or faulty. The system returns to less stringent regimes as threats diminish. Servers and proxies can be isolated, repaired, and reinserted without interrupting service.
This research is sponsored by DARPA under contract number N66001-00-C-8058. The views herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the supporting agency. Approved for Public Release—Distribution Unlimited.
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Valdes, A. et al. (2004). An Architecture for an Adaptive Intrusion-Tolerant Server. In: Christianson, B., Crispo, B., Malcolm, J.A., Roe, M. (eds) Security Protocols. Security Protocols 2002. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2845. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-39871-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-39871-4_14
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