Calculational Design of Information Flow Monitors
Mounir Assaf, Stevens Institute of Technology

Abstract:
Fine grained information flow monitoring can in principle address a wide
range of security and privacy goals, for example in web applications. But
it is very difficult to achieve sound monitoring with acceptable runtime
cost and sufficient precision to avoid impractical restrictions on
programs and policies. We present a systematic technique for design of
monitors that are correct by construction. It encompasses policies with
downgrading. The technique is based on abstract interpretation which is a
standard basis for static analysis of programs. This should enable
integration of a wide range of analysis techniques, enabling more
sophisticated engineering of monitors to address the challenges of
precision and scaling to widely used programming languages.
(Appears in CSF 2016. Joint work with David Naumann.)

Host: Michael Clarkson