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Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence (C3I) systems are increasingly used in critical civil and military domains for achieving information superiority, operational efficacy, and greater situational awareness. The critical civil and military domains include, but are not limited to battlefield, healthcare, transportation, and rescue missions. Given the sensitive nature and modernization of tactical domains, the security of C3I systems has recently become a critical concern. This is because cyber-attacks on C3I systems have catastrophic consequences including loss of human lives. Despite the increasing number of cyber-attacks on C3I systems and growing concerns about C3I systems’ security, there is a paucity of a comprehensive review to systematize the body of knowledge on the security of C3I systems. Therefore, in this paper, we have gathered, analyzed, and synthesized the body of knowledge on the security of C3I systems. We have identified and reported security vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and countermeasures/defenses for C3I systems. In particular, this paper has enabled us to (i) propose a taxonomy for security vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and countermeasures; (ii) interrelate attack vectors with security vulnerabilities and countermeasures; and (iii) propose future research directions for advancing the state-of-the-art on the security of C3I systems. We believe that our findings will serve as a guideline for practitioners and researchers to advance the state-of-the-practice and state-of-the-art on the security of C3I systems.

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Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence (C3I) system is a kind of system-of-system that integrates computing machines, sensors, and communication networks. C3I systems are increasingly used in critical civil and military operations for achieving information superiority, assurance, and operational efficacy. C3I systems are no exception to the traditional systems facing widespread cyber-threats. However, the sensitive nature of the application domain (e.g., military operations) of C3I systems makes their security a critical concern. For instance, a cyber-attack on military installations can have detrimental impacts on national security. Therefore, in this paper, we review the state-of-the-art on the security of C3I systems. In particular, this paper aims to identify the security vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and countermeasures for C3I systems. We used the well-known systematic literature review method to select and review 77 studies on the security of C3I systems. Our review enabled us to identify 27 vulnerabilities, 22 attack vectors, and 62 countermeasures for C3I systems. This review has also revealed several areas for future research and identified key lessons with regards to C3I systems' security.

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