Integrity PC operating system takes advantage of new security features

Green Hills Software is extending its Integrity PC secure operating system technology to take advantage of new security features in desktop PCs powered by the latest Intel vPro processor technology. It's the first operating system to get a Common Criteria security evaluation, company says.

By Control Engineering Staff September 14, 2007

Santa Barbara, CA —

Green Hills Software

is extending its Integrity PC secure operating system technology to take advantage of new security features in desktop PCs powered by the latest Intel vPro processor technology. According to the company, it is the first and only operating system to undergo a high assurance

Common Criteria security evaluation

.

“We are excited about the silicon security innovations packed into Intel’s vPro,” said David Kleidermacher, chief technology officer of Green Hills Software. “Intel has solved fundamental trust problems that have prevented secure operating systems from completing their mission on off-the-shelf PCs. With Integrity PC and Intel vPro processor technology, the PC platform can sustain applications and information requiring the highest levels of protection without sacrificing performance.”

Integrity PC works with Intel vPro processor technology to perform a secure boot in which the PC hardware, BIOS, and Integrity kernel are measured to provide trust in the execution environment. The operating system incorporates a suite of secure software components, including Green Hills Software’s Padded Cell virtualization software, which enables multiple guest operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, Solaris, and their applications to be run in secure partitions on the same computer. The resulting platform is said to allow systems designers to build the most security-critical applications and run them alongside familiar operating environments.

The platform is designed for the military, intelligence, financial, medical, and other critical infrastructure communities where PC users must manage and protect high value information. Military and intelligence communities struggle with the burden of maintaining separate computers and networks to manage information at varying sensitivity levels. Integrity PC manages information at multiple security levels, includes a cross-domain information transfer framework, provides a path for the shared keyboard and mouse devices, and includes a multi-factor authentication mechanism.

In unrelated news from Green Hills Software, the company announced Aug. 21 that an

arbitration panel denied claims brought against Green Hills Software by Express Logic

.

—Edited by Lisa Sutor, Control Engineering News Desk