Addressing security for object-oriented design and Ada 95 development

During the 1990s, we have seen an explosive growth in object-oriented design and development. Ada95 and its strong ties to DoD and government software, and Java with an increasing impact on commercial internet-based and general-purpose software, both expand the base of software professionals working on object-oriented platforms. Security is a paramount concern in both languages; in Ada 95 to manage access to government sensitive data, and in Java to control the effects of platform-independent software. Organizations will demand high constancy and high assurance in object-oriented software, across a wide range of domains. For example, health care systems need instant access to data in life-critical situations, while CAD applications must insure that the most up-to-date specifications on mechanical parts are available in a shared manner to promote cooperation and facilitate productivity. The successful Ada 95 Tool Chest for the Year 2000 must contain tools and techniques that support the definition, analyses, and enforcement of security for object-oriented software. This paper investigates security for object-oriented design with a focus on its realization in Ada 95.