An overview of securitydriven compilation

The growing importance attached to the security of software systems has focused considerable atten-tion on various problems related to security in com-puting. A vast array of research efforts ranging from highly technical cryptographic techniques all the way to higher-level information policy are cur-rently engaged in addressing the security needs of the next generation of computing infrastructure. This pa-per reviews the role that compilers and compiler re-search can play in this realm. Because they routinely extract useful program structure and transform code, compilers are uniquely positioned in some ways to have a direct impact in the creation of more secure software. These features, among others, together with a fresh approach towards software protection based on compilation, can result in more robust ap-plications and computing infrastructures. This paper will review on-going efforts, explore future research directions and make the case for renewed attention in this important area at the intersection of compiler and security research