Buffer cache level encryption for embedded secure operating system

초록

A cryptographic file system is the representative way of assuring confidentiality of files in operating systems. For secure embedded operating systems, the cryptographic file system could be a practical technique. In general, cryptographic file systems are implemented using a stackable file system or a device driver. These two mechanisms can provide user transparent encryption/decryption of cryptographic file systems. But these mechanisms sometimes encrypt or decrypt data redundantly or unnecessarily. Embedded systems with a low speed CPU and flash storage are more affected by the problems than general systems. We addressed the above mentioned problems by applying an encryption algorithm on buffer caches and enabling one buffer cache to have both encrypted and decrypted data together. Experimental results show that the proposed mechanisms reduce the redundant or unnecessary operations and it can improve the performance of cryptographic file systems. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2007.