Information flow enforcement for multilevel secure systems

A multilevel security system, comprising:

• a plurality of nodes;
• a communication fabric comprising a plurality of communication ports, the communication fabric configured to facilitate communications between at least some of the plurality of nodes, wherein data on each of the plurality of nodes is mapped to unique addresses accessible through the communication fabric;
• a root of trust configured to define an information flow policy, wherein the information flow policy assigns each address associated with data on each of the plurality of nodes at least one of two or more communication levels;
• and
• a plurality of trusted address management units disposed between the plurality of communication ports of the communication fabric and the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of trusted address management units regulate data transfer between nodes of the plurality of nodes based on the information flow policy, wherein a particular trusted address management unit of the plurality of trusted address management units that is communicatively coupled to a particular communication port of the communication fabric and a particular node of the plurality of nodes is configured to:
• extract an address map contained in a communication request from the particular node to access data on an additional node of the plurality of nodes, the address map comprising at least a particular communication level of the two or more communication levels and address of the data on the additional node associated with the communication request;
• and
• regulate communication with the particular node across the communication fabric based on whether the particular node is authorized to communicate in the particular communication level and whether the data on the additional node associated with the communication request is associated with the particular communication level.

A multilevel security traffic flow management method, comprising:

• extracting, with a trusted address management unit, an address map associated with a communication request between a first node and a second node across a communications fabric including a plurality of communication ports, wherein the trusted address management unit is disposed between the first node and a first communication port of the plurality of communication ports, wherein data on the second node is mapped to unique addresses accessible through the communication fabric, wherein an information flow policy assigns each address associated with data on the second node at least one of two or more communication levels, wherein the trusted address management unit is configured to regulate communication by the first node based on the information flow policy, wherein the address map comprises at least a particular communication level of the two or more communication levels and an address of the data on the second node associated with the communication request;
• and
• regulating, with the trusted address management unit, communication with the particular node across the communication fabric based on whether the particular node is authorized to communicate in the particular communication level and whether the data on the additional node associated with the communication request is associated with the particular communication level.