General systems theory is a relatively new and rapidly growing mathematical discipline which shows great promise for application in the computer sciences. The discipline includes both" general systems-theory" and" general-systems theory": that iz, one may properly read the phrase" general systems theory" in both ways.

In this paper, we have borrowed from the works of general systems theorists, principally from the basic work of Masarovic, to formulate a mathematical framework within which to deal with the problems of secure computer systems. At the present time we feel that the mathematical representation developed herein is adequate to deal with most if not all of the security problems one may wish to pose. In Section IIIwe have given a result vhich deals with the most trivial of the secure computer systems one mig. ht find viable in actual use. In the concluding section we review the application of our mathematical methodology and suggest major areas of concern in the design of a secure system.