Expressing best practices in (risk) analysis and testing of safety-critical systems using patterns

The continuing pervasion of our society with safety-critical cyber-physical systems not only demands for adequate (risk) analysis, testing and verification techniques, it also generates growing experience on their use, which can be considered as important as the tools themselves for their efficient use. This paper introduces workflow patterns to describe such best practices in a systematic way that efficiently represents this knowledge, and also provides a way to relate different patterns, making them easier to identify and use, and cover as wide a range of experiences as possible. The value of the approach is demonstrated using some pattern examples from a collection developed in the Artemis-project MBAT. Finally, the paper presents a wiki-based approach for developing and maintaining the pattern collection

Stability of stochastic impulsive differential equations: integrating the cyber and the physical of stochastic systems

According to Newton's second law of motion, we humans describe a dynamical system with a differential equation, which is naturally discretized into a difference equation whenever a computer is used. The differential equation is the physical model in human brains and the difference equation the cyber model in computers for the dynamical system. The physical model refers to the dynamical system itself (particularly, a human-designed system) in the physical world and the cyber model symbolises it in the cyber counterpart. This paper formulates a hybrid model with impulsive differential equations for the dynamical system, which integrates its physical model in real world/human brains and its cyber counterpart in computers. The presented results establish a theoretic foundation for the scientific study of control and communication in the animal/human and the machine (Norbert Wiener) in the era of rise of the machines as well as a systems science for cyber-physical systems (CPS)

Blockchain Solutions for Multi-Agent Robotic Systems: Related Work and Open Questions

The possibilities of decentralization and immutability make blockchain probably one of the most breakthrough and promising technological innovations in recent years. This paper presents an overview, analysis, and classification of possible blockchain solutions for practical tasks facing multi-agent robotic systems. The paper discusses blockchain-based applications that demonstrate how distributed ledger can be used to extend the existing number of research platforms and libraries for multi-agent robotic systems.Comment: 5 pages, FRUCT-2019 conference pape

STOP-IT: strategic, tactical, operational protection of water infrastructure against cyberphysical threats

Water supply and sanitation infrastructures are essential for our welfare, but vulnerable to several attack types facilitated by the ever-changing landscapes of the digital world. A cyber-attack on critical infrastructures could for example evolve along these threat vectors: chemical/biological contamination, physical or communications disruption between the network and the supervisory SCADA. Although conceptual and technological solutions to security and resilience are available, further work is required to bring them together in a risk management framework, strengthen the capacities of water utilities to systematically protect their systems, determine gaps in security technologies and improve risk management approaches. In particular, robust adaptable/flexible solutions for prevention, detection and mitigation of consequences in case of failure due to physical and cyber threats, their combination and cascading effects (from attacks to other critical infrastructure, i.e. energy) are still missing. There is (i) an urgent need to efficiently tackle cyber-physical security threats, (ii) an existing risk management gap in utilities’ practices and (iii) an un-tapped technology market potential for strategic, tactical and operational protection solutions for water infrastructure: how the H2020 STOP-IT project aims to bridge these gaps is presented in this paper.Postprint (published version

Conceptualizing human resilience in the face of the global epidemiology of cyber attacks

Computer security is a complex global phenomenon where different populations interact, and the infection of one person creates risk for another. Given the dynamics and scope of cyber campaigns, studies of local resilience without reference to global populations are inadequate. In this paper we describe a set of minimal requirements for implementing a global epidemiological infrastructure to understand and respond to large-scale computer security outbreaks. We enumerate the relevant dimensions, the applicable measurement tools, and define a systematic approach to evaluate cyber security resilience. From the experience in conceptualizing and designing a cross-national coordinated phishing resilience evaluation we describe the cultural, logistic, and regulatory challenges to this proposed public health approach to global computer assault resilience. We conclude that mechanisms for systematic evaluations of global attacks and the resilience against those attacks exist. Coordinated global science is needed to address organised global ecrime