DARPA Research into Clean-Slate Network Security Redesign
This looks like a good research direction:
Is it possible that given a clean slate and likely millions of dollars, engineers could come up with the ultimate in secure network technology? The scientists at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) think so and this week announced the Clean Slate Design of Resilient, Adaptive, Secure Hosts (CRASH) program that looks to lean heavily on human biology to develop super-smart, highly adaptive, supremely secure networks.
For example, the CRASH program looks to translate human immune system strategies into computational terms. In the human immune system multiple independent mechanisms constantly monitor the body for pathogens. Even at the cellular level, multiple redundant mechanisms monitor and repair the structure of the DNA. These mechanisms consume tons of resources, but let the body continue functioning and to repair the damage caused by malfunctions and infectious agents, DARPA stated.
nick • June 9, 2010 1:17 PM
Humans die all the time. I wouldn’t want to model an architecture after them!
A clean-slate redesign could be useful, though. Just require encryption for all connections, and require standardized multifactor authentication for all network services. Make all parties (user, computer, and server) digitally sign every bit of data transmitted.
It could be done. Lots of threats would be stopped and lots of others would be easily detectable and limited. But we would have to remove the users themselves if we want real security. Most flaws are in the meat, not the machine.