Analyzing Implicit Interactions to Identify Weak Points in Cyber-Physical System Designs

Newton, Luke; Jaskolka, Jason

doi:10.1109/rws52686.2021.9611810

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…With the agent-level graph-based approximations identified with the WDS, we have also seen a strong relationship between the agent-level implicit interaction and graphbased measurements in two other system models of a maritime port terminal and batch chemical reactor [NJ21].…”

Section: External Validitymentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In this chapter, we detail the activities presented in Chapter 3 to generate data for the analysis activities in Chapter 6. Section 5.1 describes how implicit interactions are identified using existing formal methods [JV17b], Section 5.2 describes how the formal methods are extended to identify weak points in system designs to focus redesign efforts [NJ21] (i.e., answering RQ1. ), Section 5.3 describes how alternative system designs are generated from the weak points and the system properties we want to test, and Section 5.4 describes the semi-formal graph-based analysis we perform on each alternate system design.…”

Section: Data Collection Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Principles and Properties for Reducing the Prevalence of Implicit Interactions in System Designs.

Newton¹

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Early security considerations are essential to ensuring a system is adequately protected, but their ever-growing size and complexity often leaves full comprehension of a system's interconnections out of reach. This gives rise to implicit interactions. These unplanned or unforeseen communication sequences between components are security vulnerabilities that can be exploited to mount a cyberattack. Existing design-phase formal methods-based approaches exist to identify implicit interactions, but formal methods see limited adoption and the root cause of implicit interactions is not well understood.In this work, we extend the existing formal approach to suggest areas of a system to focus redesign efforts, while also providing alternative approaches that do not require formal expertise. These focus on graph-based measurements and providing a set of properties, quality attributes, and design principles with goals in line with the reduction of the prevalence of implicit interactions within a system design.I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Jason Jaskolka, for his interest and guidance in this project. His support, encouragement, and ability to foster ideas and out-of-the-box thinking were all pivotal to the success of this work.I thank my colleagues for creating an inviting environment to share ideas, and for all their advice and constructive comments.Finally, I wish to thank my parents and my best friend for all their unconditional love and support over these past two years.

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Section: External Validitymentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Data Collection Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%