Biba model

Globally, businesses account for a disproportionately large portion of those who benefit from technology improvements. The desire to simplify living in numerous fields has propelled technological advancement over time. It takes a lot of effort on the part of programmers and other developers to generate novel ideas in a variety of industries. Kenneth J. Biba created the Biba integrity model, which was finally realized in 1975. The model design is a part of the information assurance sector, which is concerned with information security. The primary driver behind diverse protective models is the requirement to safeguard sensitive information about a business.

Body The Biba model is defined as a formal state transition system of computer security policy that describes a set of access control rules to ensure data integrity. Normal operations in an organization involve some secret documentation such as accounting information. Therefore, the different level of management in an organization necessitates the use of Biba model (Paulo, 2009). The model works in such a way that different subjects have access levels to information. A subject classified as high level is able to access all information available in a data base. On the other hand, a low level subject is able to access only information at his or below his level.

Biba model has various laws and regulations in use which ensures high success rate in application. The simple integrity axiom states that, a given subject at a given level of integrity must not read an object at a lower integrity level. The law applies to subjects at mid management level and low level of management (Paulo, 2009). The mid management subjects are tasked with supervision of junior employees to a certain point. Biba model ensures that communication between the top level management and low level management is not interfered.

The other law is the star integrity axiom which states that, a subject at a given level of integrity must not write to any subject at a higher level of integrity. This is defined as the write up concept where subjects at a given level of management cannot write to other subjects. This is applied in the relationship between top level management and low level management. The communication channel between the two parties is limited to some extent (Paulo, 2009). In this case, unnecessary communication is limited without following the proper channels.

The last law is the invocation property which states that, a process from below cannot request higher access only with subjects at an equal or lower level. Communication is an important aspect in the success of a business (Paulo, 2009). It is for this reason that various organizations use various methods to communicate with employees at various levels. Communication between top level management is critical as key policies get formulated. The Biba model system prevents interference of such communication by junior employees. It is for this reason that, Biba model is adopted in many organizations globally.

Biba model has various features that make it possible to control data intrusion of any kind. Over the years, organizations around the world have had to deal with the problem of data loss or modification. In the event that certain data is compromised in an organization, possible losses in terms of resources and intellectual property may be lost (Paulo, 2009). The Biba model however prevents the possible manipulation of data at any level of management.

A typical organization in the world is run by coordination of various groups of people in various departments. An organization in this case has to store various operational material such as accounting books, employees information amongst other sensitive data (Paulo, 2009). The introduction of computers has made it easy to store huge volumes of data in a small space. The problem however arises when unauthorized parties seek to modify data available on the server. The Biba model however prevents unauthorized parties from accessing sensitive material. A prevented access system in play ensures there are data integrity at all levels of an organization.

The day to day operations in an organization involves fluctuation of various pieces of information. This means that, various departments have to interchange various pieces of information on daily basis. The problem however arises when some data is manipulated and the internal data is different from the external data. An organization in this case may have some pre guided notion about certain information (Paulo, 2009). The use of the Biba model however provides organizations with an alternative option in data integrity. It provides assurance to an organization of consistency in information provided at various levels.

Conclusion

In the end it is clear that, communication is a vital component in the success of an organization. The problem however arises when there is manipulation of data in the process compromising integrity. Biba model is one of the best security systems in use among various companies (Paulo, 2009). It ensures there is order in communication systems used while in the process ensuring there is data integrity.

Reference

Paulo, P. (2009). Causes and Consequences of Choosing Different Assurance Providers: An International Study of Sustainability Reporting. International Journal of Management, vol. 26(3), 5-87.