TC: Small: Capsule: Safely Accessing Confidential Data in a Low-Integrity Environment

保护机密信息是组织和个人的主要关注点，如果私人数据落入坏人之手，他们将遭受巨大损失。对机密性的主要威胁之一是恶意软件，据估计存在于数百万台计算机上。目前的安全解决方案，如防火墙、杀毒软件和入侵检测系统，在防止恶意软件感染方面是不够的。该项目的主要贡献将是一种新的机制，称为存储胶囊，它将允许用户保护个人计算机和服务器上的机密文件。存储胶囊是加密的容器，它允许受感染机器上的用户使用标准应用程序安全地读取和写入容器上的文件，而恶意软件无法窃取机密文件数据。研究主题包括系统的设计、系统的安全性分析和潜在威胁的解决、系统的效率提升、系统的扩展以支持用户自定义的访问策略等。这项工作更广泛的意义包括为人们提供一种新的方法来保护个人电脑和服务器上的敏感数据，即使存在恶意软件。

Protecting confidential information is a major concern for organizations and individuals alike, who stand to suffer huge losses if private data falls into the wrong hands. One of the primary threats to confidentiality is malicious software, which is estimated to reside on millions of computers. Current security solutions, such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and intrusion detection systems, are inadequate at preventing malware infection.The main contribution of this project will be a novel mechanism, called Storage Capsules, that will allow users to protect confidential files on personal computers and servers. Storage Capsules are encrypted containers that will allow users on a compromised machine to securely read and write files on the container using standard applications without malware being able to steal confidential file data. Research themes include designing the system, analyzing its security and addressing the potential threats, improving its efficiency, and extending it to support user-defined access policies. Broader implications of this work include providing a new method for people to secure sensitive data on their personal computers and servers, even in the presence of malware.