Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product are provided for performing policy enforcement, attestation, and network forensics. A universal reference for a computing entity is obtained, wherein the universal reference identifies one or more components of the computing entity by additional universal references assigned to the one or more components. A hierarchical description of the computing entity is determined by enumerating each additional universal reference of the one or more components and additional sub-components, wherein the hierarchical description exhaustively identifies the components and sub-components of the computing entity. The hierarchical description is analyzed by accessing a database to identify mappings of the one or more additional universal references to the one or more components and sub-components.

Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product are provided for performing admission control tasks. A universal reference for an executing application is obtained, wherein the universal reference identifies one or more components of the executing application by additional universal references assigned to the one or more components. A description of the executing application is determined by enumerating each additional universal reference of the one or more components and additional sub-components, wherein the description exhaustively identifies components and sub-components of the executing application. The identified one or more components and sub-components are assessed to perform an admission control operation between the executing application and a second application.

Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product are provided for performing logging, securing communications, and performing digital forensics tasks based on universal references for hardware and/or software configurations. A universal reference, obtained by a first entity, is included in a request of a second entity, wherein the universal reference identifies one or more components of the second entity using additional universal references assigned to each of the one or more components. It is determined whether the first entity is authorized to receive data from the second entity based on the universal reference. Based on the determining, data is received from the second entity.

Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product are provided for automatically analyzing software packages to identify the degree of differences between compared software packages and to apply security policies. A first software bill of materials for a software package is processed to extract a plurality of components of the software package, wherein the first software bill of materials indicates a first hierarchy of components based on relationships between components. The first hierarchy is compared to a second hierarchy, the second hierarchy corresponding to a second software bill of materials, to determine a degree of difference between the first hierarchy and the second hierarchy. The degree of difference is compared to one or more threshold values. A security policy is applied with respect to the software package according to a comparison of the degree of difference to the one or more threshold values.

Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product are provided for performing policy enforcement, attestation, and network forensics. A universal reference for a computing entity is obtained, wherein the universal reference identifies one or more components of the computing entity by additional universal references assigned to the one or more components. A hierarchical description of the computing entity is determined by enumerating each additional universal reference of the one or more components and additional sub-components, wherein the hierarchical description exhaustively identifies the components and sub-components of the computing entity. The hierarchical description is analyzed by accessing a database to identify mappings of the one or more additional universal references to the one or more components and sub-components.