SDN testbed for validation of cross-layer data-centric security policies

Software-defined networks offer a promising framework for the implementation of cross-layer data-centric security policies in military systems. An important aspect of the design process for such advanced security solutions is the thorough experimental assessment and validation of proposed technical concepts prior to their deployment in operational military systems. In this paper, we describe an OpenFlow-based testbed, which was developed with a specific focus on validation of SDN security mechanisms - including both the mechanisms for protecting the software-defined network layer and the cross-layer enforcement of higher level policies, such as data-centric security policies. We also present initial experimentation results obtained using the testbed, which confirm its ability to validate simulation and analytic predictions. Our objective is to provide a sufficiently detailed description of the configuration used in our testbed so that it can be easily re-plicated and re-used by other security researchers in their experiments.