ITDB: an attack self-healing database system prototype

The ITDB project addresses the following problem: How can we tolerate the successful attacks (or intrusions) into a database system in such a way that the database system can continue delivering essential services in the the face of attacks and damage? While traditional secure database systems rely on preventive controls, an ITDB system can detect intrusions, isolate attacks, contain, assess, and repair the damage caused by intrusions in a timely manner such that a self-stabilized level of database trustworthiness can be provided to applications. ITMB illustrates intrusion tolerance design principles in three ways: (1) using multiple intrusion tolerance phases to achieve defense-in-depth; (2) using isolation and multiphase damage containment to tolerate (or live with) a not so good intrusion detector; (2) on-the-fly self-healing transparent to applications.