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On 2015-09-23 13:30, Dave Sill wrote:<br>
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cite="mid:CAM5aL2cH+E1cha86w9dSjtL9ZbksjKvnuLAUKAXVLWKOiyHnhA@mail.gmail.com"
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 5:19 AM, John
Grigg <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:possiblepaths2050@gmail.com"
target="_blank">possiblepaths2050@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
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<p style="font-family:'PT Serif';margin:0px 0px
12px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:15px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.4">"The
kernel is the central core of any computer’s
operating system. If hackers gain access to it, they
can perform actions that are meant to be forbidden –
like turning a mobile phone into a signal jammer,
for example. Last year, Heiser’s team <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://sel4.systems/Info/FAQ/proof.pml"
style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(23,156,206)"
target="_blank">proved mathematically</a> that
their kernel is unhackable.<br>
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<div>A provably secure kernel is great, but alone it's not
enough to ensure that an entire system is secure. E.g., if
I leave my "unhackable" system accessible to the world and
have a privileged account called "root" with the password
"root", the kernel isn't going to save me.<br>
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<br>
This is what distinguishes real security experts like Bruce Schneier
from the snake-oil salesmen. The salesmen tell you that if you get
their gadget you will be secure, while the real experts tell you
that it is a component in a comprehensive security process.<br>
<br>
Still, starting from a secure kernel and carefully building upwards
sounds like a far more viable approach than trying to patch the
current mess. Expensive and slow, yes. But this is what I would
prefer for important systems (I am currently writing about the
security of brain implants... oh dear). <br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University</pre>
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