Algebra and logic for access control

Abstract

Abstract The access control problem in computer security is fundamentally concerned with the ability of system entities to see, make use of, or alter various system resources. We provide a mathematical framework for modelling and reasoning about (distributed) systems with access control. This is based on a calculus of resources and processes together with a Hennessy–Milner-style modal logic, based on the connectives of bunched logic, for which an appropriate correspondence theorem obtains. As a consequence we get a consistent account of both operational behaviour and logical reasoning for systems with access control features. In particular, we are able to introduce a process combinator that describes, as a form of concurrent composition, the action of one agent in the role of another, and provide a logical characterization of this operator via a modality ‘says’. We give a range of examples, including analyses of co-signing, roles, and chains of trust, which illustrates the utility of our mathematical framework.