IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/syseng/v15y2012i2p225-240.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A System‐Aware Cyber Security architecture

Author

Listed:
  • Rick A. Jones
  • Barry Horowitz

Abstract

As exemplified in the 2010 Stuxnet attack on an Iranian nuclear facility, attackers have the capabilities to embed infections in equipment that is employed in nuclear power systems. In this paper, a new systems engineering focused approach for mitigating such risks is described. This approach involves the development of a security architectural formulation that integrates a set of reusable security services as an architectural solution that is an embedded component of the system to be protected. The System‐Aware architectural approach embeds security components into the system to be protected. The architecture includes services that (1) collect and assess real‐time security relevant measurements from the system being protected, (2) perform security analysis on those measurements, and (3) execute system security control actions as required. This architectural formulation results in a defense that is referred to as System‐Aware Cyber Security. This includes (1) the integration of a diverse set of dynamically interchangeable redundant subsystems involving hardware and software components provided from multiple vendors to significantly increase the difficulty for adversaries by avoiding a monoculture environment, (2) the development of subsystems that are capable of rapidly changing their attack surface through hardware and software reconfiguration (configuration hopping) in response to perceived threats, (3) data consistency checking services (e.g., intelligent voting mechanisms) for isolating faults and permitting moving surface control actions to avoid operations in a compromised configuration, and (4) forensic analysis techniques for rapid post‐attack categorization of whether a given fault is more likely the result of an infected embedded hardware or software component (i.e., cyber attack) or a natural failure. In this paper we present these key elements of the System‐Aware Cyber Security architecture and show, including an application example, how they can be integrated to mitigate the risks of insider and supply chain attacks. In addition, this paper outlines an initial vision for a security analysis framework to compare alternative System‐Aware security architectures. Finally, we summarize future research that is necessary to facilitate implementation across additional domains critical to the nation's interest. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng

Suggested Citation

  • Rick A. Jones & Barry Horowitz, 2012. "A System‐Aware Cyber Security architecture," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 225-240, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:syseng:v:15:y:2012:i:2:p:225-240
    DOI: 10.1002/sys.21206
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sys.21206
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sys.21206?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nai Fovino, Igor & Masera, Marcelo & De Cian, Alessio, 2009. "Integrating cyber attacks within fault trees," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 94(9), pages 1394-1402.
    2. Jennifer L. Bayuk & Barry M. Horowitz, 2011. "An architectural systems engineering methodology for addressing cyber security," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(3), pages 294-304, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nathan Trantham & Alfredo Garcia, 2015. "Reputation Dynamics in Networks: Application to Cyber Security of Wind Farms," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(4), pages 339-348, July.
    2. Jamieson Gump & Thomas Mazzuchi & Shahram Sarkani, 2017. "An Architecture for Agile Systems Engineering of Secure Commercial Off‐the‐Shelf Mobile Communications," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 71-91, January.
    3. Barry M. Horowitz & Katherine M. Pierce, 2013. "The integration of diversely redundant designs, dynamic system models, and state estimation technology to the cyber security of physical systems," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 401-412, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Wei & Cammi, Antonio & Di Maio, Francesco & Lorenzi, Stefano & Zio, Enrico, 2018. "A Monte Carlo-based exploration framework for identifying components vulnerable to cyber threats in nuclear power plants," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 24-37.
    2. Han, Sang Min & Lee, Chanyoung & Seong, Poong Hyun, 2022. "Estimating the frequency of cyber threats to nuclear power plants based on operating experience analysis," International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    3. Alexander A. Ganin & Phuoc Quach & Mahesh Panwar & Zachary A. Collier & Jeffrey M. Keisler & Dayton Marchese & Igor Linkov, 2020. "Multicriteria Decision Framework for Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and Management," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(1), pages 183-199, January.
    4. Jalal Ali & Joost R. Santos, 2015. "Modeling the Ripple Effects of IT‐Based Incidents on Interdependent Economic Systems," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(2), pages 146-161, March.
    5. Kriaa, Siwar & Pietre-Cambacedes, Ludovic & Bouissou, Marc & Halgand, Yoran, 2015. "A survey of approaches combining safety and security for industrial control systems," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 156-178.
    6. SICARD, Franck & ZAMAI, Éric & FLAUS, Jean-Marie, 2019. "An approach based on behavioral models and critical states distance notion for improving cybersecurity of industrial control systems," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 584-603.
    7. Jennifer Bayuk & Ali Mostashari, 2013. "Measuring systems security," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, March.
    8. Piètre-Cambacédès, L. & Bouissou, M., 2013. "Cross-fertilization between safety and security engineering," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 110-126.
    9. Georgios Kavallieratos & Sokratis Katsikas & Vasileios Gkioulos, 2020. "Cybersecurity and Safety Co-Engineering of Cyberphysical Systems—A Comprehensive Survey," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, April.
    10. Miri Sitton & Yoram Reich, 2015. "Enterprise Systems Engineering for Better Operational Interoperability," Systems Engineering, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(6), pages 625-638, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:syseng:v:15:y:2012:i:2:p:225-240. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-6858 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.