An axiomatic basis of trust in distributed systems

The author presents methods to map a formal trust specification on to mechanisms for its implementation in the distributed system, and shows how security specification and verification methods can be integrated into the presented theory of trust.

Abstract

He introduces basic notions about developing a logic or a theory, and shows that modal logics of belief, with their Kripe-style possible-worlds semantics, are appropriate for basing a theory of trust on. He reviews a modal logic of belief, and constructs a model of the distributed system so that the logic is sound and complete with respect to the model. Any sentences in the logic may then be added to the logic as axioms, and these axiomatic sentences are considered as trust specifications. He presents methods to map a formal trust specification on to mechanisms for its implementation in the distributed system. Trust and security are closely related in distributed systems. It is shown how security specification and verification methods can be integrated into the presented theory of trust. The author analyzes the trusts required in public-key-based secure communication.>