Automatic access controls in the Defense Message System (DMS)

Access controls in legacy messaging systems such as AUTODIN rely heavily on human intervention. DMS provides an organizational and individual messaging capability with automatic access control based on a message security label and the authorizations of the originator and recipient as conveyed in their respective International Standards Organization (ISO) X.509 Certificates and Extensions. This paper presents an overview of the way this automatic access control process is performed, the features of the process, and the resources required for execution. Concepts discussed include types of access control means of conveying sensitivities and authorization, security policies, certificate policies, and the process for verifying authorizations, among others.