Runtime Immunity
Canonical definition (one sentence)
Runtime Immunity: A technical system that, even when an attack reaches the system, structurally nullifies the preconditions or outcomes of the attack, maintaining Protection Attributes without halting the system.
Essential definition of Runtime
“Runtime” refers to the general state of execution in which a processor executes its instruction set (ISA) and program code and execution data are loaded into RAM (memory). Shared across Runtime Stability, Runtime Security, and Runtime Immunity.
What “Structural Nullification” means
Runtime Immunity structurally severs the causal relationship that traditional security has assumed: “breach of defense = occurrence of damage.” Even when an attack reaches the system, the outcomes hold no exploitable value.
Structural nullification does not depend on detection, addresses unknown threats (including 0-day), and does not require human response. It provides consistent protection and structurally minimizes legal/financial risk.
NOTICE: The goal is “structurally infeasible,” not “100% impossible.” Claims of completeness create legal risk; this definition focuses on structural minimization and computational infeasibility.
Two design principles of Runtime Immunity
Principle 1: Detection Independence — effectiveness does not depend on detection success; outcomes are nullified even with detection gaps.
Principle 2: Structural Embedding — protection is embedded into system architecture (design-time), not runtime judgment.
Characteristics derived from Runtime Stability
Characteristic 1: Non-Halting — the system is not halted even under attack.
Characteristic 2: Homeostasis Maintenance — Protection Attributes remain unchanged before/after attack through structural nullification.
Positioning within Runtime Stability
Runtime Immunity is structure-based protection within the Runtime Stability framework and contributes particularly to Confidentiality and Data Integrity.
Through coordination with Runtime Security, the seven attributes are achieved at a high level overall.
Realization forms (three forms)
Runtime Immunity nullifies attack outcomes through three realization forms corresponding to stages of the attack chain.
- Form 1: Target Elimination — attackers cannot identify or locate the target.
- Form 2: Precondition Removal — tools/conditions required for attack are structurally absent.
- Form 3: Spoils Nullification — obtained outcomes hold no exploitable value.
Nullification Level (NL) and Immunity Level (IL) (summary)
Nullification is defined quantitatively because completeness claims carry legal risk.
NL is evaluated via two axes: (A) information-theoretic nullification and (B) economic nullification.
- NL-1: Partial information-theoretic nullification (≥50%).
- NL-2: Comprehensive information-theoretic nullification (≥95%).
- NL-3: Practical nullification (attacker ROI < 0), built on NL-2.
NOTICE: NL is cumulative (NL-1 ⊂ NL-2 ⊂ NL-3).
Canonical text (copy-ready)
Runtime Immunity: A technical system that, even when an attack reaches the system, structurally nullifies the preconditions or outcomes of the attack, maintaining Protection Attributes without halting the system.