Formal specification and integration of distributed security policies. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mejri, Mohamed; Yahyaoui, Hamdi
• Is Part Of: Computer languages, systems & structures. Volume 49(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 35
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: Security policies -- Formal languages -- Semantics -- Integration -- XACML; Programming languages (Electronic computers) -- Periodicals; Computer networks -- Periodicals; Computer architecture -- Periodicals; Computer systems -- Periodicals; Langage de programmation; Réseau d'ordinateurs; Architecture d'ordinateur; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 005.13
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cl.2016.12.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1477-8424

Abstract

Abstract: We propose in this paper the Security Policy Language (SePL), which is a formal language for capturing and integrating distributed security policies. The syntax of SePL includes several operators for the integration of policies and it is endowed with a denotational semantics that is a generic semantics, i.e., which is independent of any evaluation environment. We prove the completeness of SePL with respect to set theory. Furthermore, we provide a formalization of a large subset of the eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML), which is the well-known standard informal specification language of Web security policies. We also provide a semantics for XACML policy combining algorithms. Abstract : Highlights: We propose a new formal Security Policy Language (SePL) for the specification and integration of security policies. We elaborate a generic denotational semantics for SePL that is capable of expressing complex security policies. We formalize almost all XACML policy combining algorithms based on SePL. We prove the completeness of SePL with respect to set theory.