Security invariants in discrete transition systems

Abstract

Abstract The Shadow semantics is a qualitative model for noninterference security for sequential programs. In this paper, we first extend the Shadow semantics to Event-B, to reason about discrete transition systems with noninterference security properties. In particular, we investigate how these security properties can be specified and proved as machine invariants. Next we highlight the role of security invariants during refinement and identify some common patterns in specifying them. Finally, we propose a practical extension to the supporting Rodin platform of Event-B, with the possibility of having some properties to be invariants-by-construction .