NCJ Number
57973
Date Published
1976
Length
80 pages
Annotation
A BASIS IS PROVIDED FOR QUANTIFYING CURRENT AND PROJECTED COSTS OF UNITED STATES AIR FORCE COMPUTER SECURITY AND THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
Abstract
FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION OF THE ORIGINS OF THE SECURITY PROBLEM, A METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATING SECURITY COSTS IS PRESENTED. THE METHOD IDENTIFIES COSTS FOR EACH OF THE ALTERNATIVE SECURITY TECHNIQUES. THE COSTS ARE GIVEN IN TERMS OF THE BASE COST OF A COMPUTER OR SYSTEM TO WHICH THE TECHNIQUE IS APPLIED. THE PROCESSES AND COST FACTORS ARE DISCUSSED FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING MAJOR CLASSES OF ALTERNATIVE SECURITY TECHNIQUES: DEDICATED PROCESSING, SYSTEM HIGH OPERATIONS, PERIODS PROCESSING, JOB STREAM SEPARATORS, VIRTUAL MACHINES, AND CERTIFIABLE SYSTEMS. THE METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED IS THEN APPLIED TO UNITED STATES AIR FORCE COMPUTER HOLDINGS. FROM THE DATA DEVELOPED, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CUMULATIVE COSTS OF AVOIDING SECURITY PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH APPROXIMATELY $85 MILLION BY 1985. CUMULATIVE COSTS, ASSUMING THE AVAILABILITY OF VMM OR CERTIFIED SYSTEMS, IS EXPECTED TO REACH ABOUT $70 MILLION BY 1985. THE JOB STREAM SEPARATOR PROGRAM IS DETERMINED TO HAVE MOSTLY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON COMPUTER SECURITY COSTS, AND IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT IT NOT BE PURSUED. EITHER VMM OR CERTIFIABLE SYSTEMS WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON REDUCING COSTS OF COMPUTER SECURITY AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUES. ALTHOUGH THE CUMULATIVE PROJECTED COSTS FOR CERTIFIABLE SYSTEMS IS 2 TO 3 MILLION DOLLARS HIGHER THAN THE VMM ONLY COSTS, THE CERTIFIABLE SYSTEMS APPROACH CAN BE APPLIED TO 40-60 PERCENT OF THE SYSTEMS, WHILE THE VMM APPROACH COVERS FROM 13 TO 23 PERCENT OF THE PROBLEM. CERTIFIABLE SYSTEMS ALSO PERMIT SATISFYING 'MISSION ESSENTIAL' REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE PREDICATED ON INFORMATION SHARING. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)