Cyber immunity is a property of IT systems whereby protection against cyberthreats is built in at the architectural level; it is also an approach to building such systems. Software developed using the cyber immune approach is secure by design and features built-in defense mechanisms, making it resistant to aggressive environments and less vulnerable to attacks – including ones previously unseen.
A core aspect of cyber immunity is making attacks unprofitable by raising the level of sophistication and expense required on the part of threat actors. Moreover, the properties of a cyber immune system by definition make additional security solutions unnecessary.
An example of a cyber immune system is KasperskyOS, which is deployed in industrial gateways, thin clients, vehicle control units, and other systems.
Principles of the cyber immune approach
The concept of cyber immunity is closely linked to both MILS (Multiple Independent Levels of Security) and FLASK (Flux Advanced Security Kernel) security architectures. The former involves isolating components and controlling communications among them; the latter works on the “default deny” basis.
The architecture of cyber immune systems is based on three fundamental principles:
- Component isolation. The whole system is divided into parts (domains) as per security level, which are isolated from each other and from the external environment. As such, even if attackers compromise one component, they will not gain access to other parts of the system, which will continue to operate normally.
- Trusted Computing Base (TCB) minimization. Only features that are essential for system operation should have maximum privileges and trust. In the case of cyber immune operating systems, this means a microkernel architecture, which differs from its monolithic counterpart in that the kernel houses only critical mechanisms. Excluding as many mechanisms, processes, and services as possible from the TCB significantly reduces risks.
- Interprocess communication control. All communications are checked for compliance with security policies, and blocked unless explicitly allowlisted. This limits threat actors’ capabilities.
Cyber immunity in action
The cyber immune approach is called for primarily in sectors where attacks can not only cause data or financial loss, but also endanger human health or even life. Cyber immune systems are already being implemented in industrial enterprises, transportation infrastructure, smart cities, and other areas.
Related products
Kaspersky OS
Kaspersky Thin Client
Kaspersky Automotive Secure Gateway
Kaspersky IoT Secure Gateway