Multiple Independent Levels of Security


Multiple Independent Levels of Security/Safety is a high-assurance security architecture based on the concepts of separation and controlled information flow; implemented by separation mechanisms that support both untrusted and trustworthy components; ensuring that the total security solution is non-bypassable, evaluatable, always invoked and tamperproof.
A MILS solution allows for independent evaluation of security components and trusted composition. MILS builds on the older Bell and La Padula theories on secure systems that represent the foundational theories of the DoD Orange Book.
A MILS system employs one or more separation mechanisms to maintain assured data and process separation. A MILS system supports enforcement of one or more application/system specific security policies by authorizing information flow only between components in the same security domain or through trustworthy security monitors.
Properties:
A convenient acronym for these characteristics is NEAT.
'Trustworthy' means that the component have been certified to satisfy well defined security policies to a level of assurance commensurate with the level of risk for that component.
'Untrusted' means that we have no confidence that the system meets its specification with respect to the security policy.
The following companies have MILS separation kernel products:
Companies with other separation methods creating MILS products: