12 th ICCRTS “ Adapting C 2 to the 21 st Century ” Security Metrics for Communication Systems Communications System Security Security Metrics Metrics and Assessments

This report discusses the possibility of creating meaningful security metrics for communication systems. In particular, we examine security metrics from an axiomatic standpoint and prove that it is not possible to measure trust in an absolute sense. We do not conclude that it is impossible to create a secure communication system; rather we argue that it is impossible to detect the occurrence. We also explore directions where further research is possible. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.