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Conference noted::seal

Title:SEAL
Moderator:GALVIA::SMITH
Created:Mon Mar 21 1994
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1989
Total number of notes:8209

1736.0. "C2 <-> B1, implications ?" by TLAV01::RUDI () Thu Jan 23 1997 02:44

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1736.1irrelevantANNECY::HOTCHKISSThu Jan 23 1997 03:1311
1736.2still learning (new) thingsTLAV01::RUDIThu Jan 23 1997 03:474
1736.3QUICHE::PITTAlph a ha is better than no VAX!Thu Jan 23 1997 08:1525
1736.4BIGUN::nessus.cao.dec.com::MayneWake up, time to dieThu Jan 23 1997 17:4275
1736.5QUICHE::PITTAlph a ha is better than no VAX!Fri Jan 24 1997 06:093
Re .4: point taken.  I knew I should never have started writing that reply!!!

T ;-)
1736.6I don't beg to differ ;-)ANNECY::HOTCHKISSMon Jan 27 1997 07:3814
    re .3 etc
    Let me apologise for spelling 'obsolete' incorrectly.
    Now,the meat.Of course my view is personal.I am trying to make the
    point that whether we conform or not(which we do not for practical
    purposes) and whether we are certified or not(ditto) is not that
    relevant.The fact is that we do not and probably never will have any
    firewall with a rating above 'designed for C2'.This is also the way it
    should stay.
    The very rating systme is obsolete in both design methodolgy and
    process.Sure it makes nice knock-off points but it is irrelevant in the
    real world (ie our world).
    We will always make more money guiding our clients through the morass
    than trying to build a bridge across it.
    Very philosophical but also very true.
1736.7QUICHE::PITTAlph a ha is better than no VAX!Mon Jan 27 1997 11:144
Re .-1: Let me agree wholeheartely with what Stuart has said.  (Some of you
never thought you'd ever hear me says that did you ... ;-) )

T
1736.8BIGUN::nessus.cao.dec.com::MayneWake up, time to dieMon Feb 03 1997 22:1724
Re .6:

>    The very rating systme is obsolete in both design methodolgy and
>    process.Sure it makes nice knock-off points but it is irrelevant in the
>    real world (ie our world).

Next time one of my defence customers gets their systems certified by one of the 
agencies responsible, I'll be sure and tell them that it's irrelevant.

>    The fact is that we do not and probably never will have any
>    firewall with a rating above 'designed for C2'.This is also the way it
>    should stay.

Just in case you thought I was making up what I said in .4, I have in my hands a 
brochure for Digital Multilevel Information Release Server and Integration 
Services, which pretty much describes my multilevel Web server. It also says

	The Defense Information Systems Agency has selected the Multilevel
	Information Releasability Server as a solution to be accredited for
	security and functionality adequacy.

It may not be a firewall, but it can probably do quite a good imitation of one.

PJDM
1736.9B1 Certification does not help to make a firewall secureCOL01::LOPEZArturo Lopez drinks K�lsch at CologneThu Feb 06 1997 06:259
The point in this discussion is that the B1 certification does not help to make
the firewall more secure. Since C2 and B1 define the security inside the system
and the firewall needs security for the network part of the operating system.

Any one who knows a bit about certification profile knows that. Until today
there is no profile for firewal certification. Until this profile is not
defined, the discussion about C2 or B1 ist just academically.

Arturo 
1736.10BIGUN::nessus.cao.dec.com::MayneWake up, time to dieThu Feb 06 1997 23:1617
>The point in this discussion is that the B1 certification does not help to make
>the firewall more secure. Since C2 and B1 define the security inside the system
>and the firewall needs security for the network part of the operating system.

And what if I'm running a firewall between networks that use TSIX trusted 
networking and allow trusted FTP, telnet, etc with all the security labels 
attached? (Why you'd want to do this I don't know, but believe me, I've come 
across stranger than this.) A C2 firewall isn't going to have a hope. To have a 
secure firewall that can actually do something, you'll need a B1 firewall. I 
already gave an example of this in .4.

>Any one who knows a bit about certification profile knows that.

I'm more ignorant than I thought I was.

PJDM