TNC IF-MAP 2.1 FAQ

FAQ

FAQs for TNC IF-MAP Specification, Version 2.1

Trusted Network Connect

IF-MAP 2.1 FAQ

May 2012

Q. What is IF-MAP?

A. IF-MAP, the interface for a Metadata Access Point, is a standard client/server protocol for accessing a Metadata Access Point (MAP). The MAP server has a database for storing information about network security events and objects (users, devices, etc.); it acts as a central clearinghouse for information that infrastructure devices can act on. The IF-MAP protocol defines a powerful publish/subscribe/search mechanism and an extensible set of identifiers and data types. MAP clients can publish metadata and/or consume metadata published by other clients.

The original IF-MAP specification was published in 2008. It extended the TNC architecture to support standardized, dynamic data interchange among a wide variety of networking and security components, enabling customers to implement multi-vendor systems that provide coordinated defense-in-depth and enable security automation.

On May 7, 2012, Trusted Computing Group published updates to several IF-MAP specifications: IF-MAP 2.1, IF-MAP Metadata for Network Security 1.1, and TNC Architecture 1.5.

Q. What benefits does IF-MAP offer to users of security products?

A. Users of IF-MAP enabled products can implement more effective, integrated security systems, gaining the following benefits:

IF-MAP enabled products facilitate security automation, which has many benefits. These benefits include:

Q. What benefits does it offer to vendors of security products?

A. Using open standards to integrate security products provides many benefits over a single-vendor approach or custom integrations:

Q. Who has incorporated IF-MAP capabilities into commercial products?

A. Many vendors, including the following, offer commercial products with IF-MAP support:

Q. Is there open source support for IF-MAP?

A. There are several open source projects that use IF-MAP, including:

Q. How does IF-MAP work with other TNC architecture specifications?

A. IF-MAP is a complementary specification that extends the capability of the TNC architecture. The original TNC standards (such as IF-IMC/IMV, IF-PEP, and IF-TNCCS) enable compliance checking for protected endpoints based on interrogation of the endpoint. The addition of observational information, such as behavior and location information, via IF-MAP enables coordination between security and networking components that aren’t involved in the original endpoint communication.

Q. What is the status of IF-MAP?

IF-MAP specifications define a mature framework of operations and standard metadata which is continually being enhanced by the Trusted Computing Group. Products using IF-MAP have been shipping since 2008, contributing to an established IF-MAP ecosystem; new features have been added to the standard in IF-MAP 2.0 and now in IF-MAP 2.1 to make it more flexible and broadly applicable to expanding use cases. IF-MAP 2.1 is an incremental evolution of the IF-MAP spec, building upon experience gained from two years of deployment and production use of IF-MAP 2.0 enabled technologies.

Q. What’s new in IF-MAP 2.1?

The primary new feature of IF-MAP 2.1 is the introduction of extended identifiers, which add extensibility to the IF-MAP identifier space to correspond to existing extensibility of the IF-MAP metadata space. TCG and vendors are now able to define new types of identifiers to enable new use cases. For instance, a new network identifier can be specified. IF-MAP enabled DHCP servers, and other sensors, may link IP address identifiers to such a network identifier, so that the topology of the physical network is reflected in the MAP. Policy decision points, flow controllers, and other MAP clients may search for newly discovered IP addresses by starting at a well-known network identifier.

Another new feature of IF-MAP 2.1 is operational metadata supporting detection of clock skew between a MAP client and server. Time synchronization is important for several aspects of IF-MAP, from SSL negotiation to event consumption and response to troubleshooting. If a disparity is detected between the time on the MAP client and the MAP server, the MAP client can adjust its local clock or compensate for the difference so that timestamps in metadata are accurate relative to MAP server local time.

Other enhancements in IF-MAP 2.1 include new normative requirements and clarification of technical aspects of the specification, improving testability and increasing ease of interoperability for implementers.

Q. Are products based on the new IF-MAP compatible with the products using the prior version?

A. Yes. IF-MAP 2.1 was designed to be backwards compatible with IF-MAP 2.0, so currently implemented products will work seamlessly with products implementing the new version.

Q. How is IF-MAP being used in the enterprise today?

A. Common uses of IF-MAP in the enterprise today include:

Q. What are some other potential use cases for IF-MAP?

A. IF-MAP enables coordinated policy dissemination; security automation; integration with new types of sensors and security devices; and other forms of coordination between disparate networking and security components. Many possible scenarios can be envisioned based on these functions; examples include:

Q. How can my organization participate in the development of the IF-MAP specification?

A. Any interested party can provide input on the IF-MAP standard by sending comments and questions to admin@trustedcomputinggroup.org .

Contributing members of the Trusted Computing Group can participate in ongoing development of the IF-MAP interface and related metadata schemas; TCG members are encouraged to engage the Trusted Network Connect Work Group. For information about joining TCG, contact admin@trustedcomputinggroup.org .

Q. Where can I go for more information?