Computer Security: Art and Science

Chapter 13. Design Principles

	FALSTAFF: If I had a thousand sons, thefirst human principle I would teach them shouldbe, to forswear thin potations and to addictthemselves to sack.
	--The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth, IV, iii, 133–136.

Specific design principles underlie the design and implementation of mechanisms for supporting security policies. These principles build on the ideas of simplicity and restriction. This chapter discusses those basic ideas and eight design principles.

Overview

Saltzer and Schroeder [865] describe eight principles for the design and implementation of security mechanisms. The principles draw on the ideas of simplicity and restriction.

Simplicity makes designs and mechanisms easy to understand. More importantly, ...