Communication channel claim dependent security precautions

A method implemented in a computing device, the method comprising:

• obtaining a channel identifier of a communication channel, the communication channel comprising a communication channel device;
• obtaining a set of security claims of the communication channel, the set of security claims including one or more security claims each identifying a security characteristic of the communication channel;
• obtaining, from a trust authority, a digital signature over the set of security claims and the channel identifier;
• generating a channel security descriptor including the channel identifier, the set of security claims, the digital signature, and a communication channel class identifier that has been digitally signed, the communication channel class identifier identifying a class of the communication channel device such that different communication channels of a same class share a same communication channel class identifier, the channel security descriptor available for analysis by the computing device when access to the communication channel is desired by the computing device;
• and
• storing the channel security descriptor.

One or more computer storage memories having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to:

• responsive to the computing device desiring access to a communication channel device and prior to determining security precautions for use by the computing device and the communication channel device during a data transfer:
• obtain a set of security claims for the communication channel device, the set of security claims including one or more security claims each identifying a security characteristic of the communication channel device;
• compare the set of security claims for the communication channel device to a security policy of the computing device;
• identify an entity that has digitally signed the set of security claims;
• and
• determine one or more security precautions that the computing device is to use in transferring data to and/or from the communication channel device, the determining being based at least in part on the comparing, the entity that has digitally signed the set of security claims, and a communication channel class identifier that has been digitally signed by the entity, the communication channel class identifier identifying a class of the communication channel device such that different communication channels of a same class share a same communication channel class identifier.