diff --git a/sicsutil.c b/sicsutil.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..89abbe5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sicsutil.c
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/**
+ * Some general functions for SICS. Most part is moved from ofac.c
+ * 
+ * copyright: see file COPYRIGHT
+ * 
+ * moved from acces.c and ascon.c Markus Zolliker Jan 2010
+ */
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <sys/time.h>
+#include "fortify.h"
+#include "sics.h"
+
+static char *aCode[] = {
+  "internal",
+  "mugger",
+  "user",
+  "spy",
+  NULL
+};
+static int iCodes = 4;
+/*--------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+int decodeSICSPriv(char *privText)
+{
+  int code = 0;
+
+  strtolower(privText);
+  while (aCode[code] != NULL) {
+    if (strcmp(aCode[code], privText) == 0) {
+      return code;
+    }
+    code++;
+  }
+  if (code >= iCodes) {
+    return -1;
+  }
+  return -1;
+}
+
+
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+double DoubleTime(void)
+{
+  struct timeval now;
+  /* the resolution of this function is usec, if the machine supports this
+     and the mantissa of a double is 51 bits or more (31 for sec and 20 for mic$
+   */
+  gettimeofday(&now, NULL);
+  return now.tv_sec + now.tv_usec / 1e6;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/sicsutil.h b/sicsutil.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..191c0d7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sicsutil.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/**
+ * Some general functions for SICS.
+ * 
+ * copyright: see file COPYRIGHT
+ * 
+ *
+ * Decode privilege text. moved from access.c by M. Zolliker Jan 2010
+ * @param the text to decode
+ * @return -1 if code invalid, else the privilege code
+ */
+int decodeSICSPriv(char *privText);
+
+double DoubleTime(void);
+/* returns time since epoch in seconds
+   the resultion is machine dependent, but mostly better than msec */
+
+