Smart Grid Technologies in Europe: An Overview

The old electricity network infrastructure has proven to be inadequate, with respect to modern challenges such as alternative energy sources, electricity demand and energy saving policies. Moreover, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) seem to have reached an adequate level of reliability and flexibility in order to support a new concept of electricity network—the smart grid. In this work, we will analyse the state-of-the-art of smart grids, in their technical, management, security, and optimization aspects. We will also provide a brief overview of the regulatory aspects involved in the development of a smart grid, mainly from the viewpoint of the European Unio

Decision Support Elements and Enabling Techniques to Achieve a Cyber Defence Situational Awareness Capability

[ES] La presente tesis doctoral realiza un análisis en detalle de los elementos de decisión necesarios para mejorar la comprensión de la situación en ciberdefensa con especial énfasis en la percepción y comprensión del analista de un centro de operaciones de ciberseguridad (SOC). Se proponen dos arquitecturas diferentes basadas en el análisis forense de flujos de datos (NF3). La primera arquitectura emplea técnicas de Ensemble Machine Learning mientras que la segunda es una variante de Machine Learning de mayor complejidad algorítmica (lambda-NF3) que ofrece un marco de defensa de mayor robustez frente a ataques adversarios. Ambas propuestas buscan automatizar de forma efectiva la detección de malware y su posterior gestión de incidentes mostrando unos resultados satisfactorios en aproximar lo que se ha denominado un SOC de próxima generación y de computación cognitiva (NGC2SOC). La supervisión y monitorización de eventos para la protección de las redes informáticas de una organización debe ir acompañada de técnicas de visualización. En este caso, la tesis aborda la generación de representaciones tridimensionales basadas en métricas orientadas a la misión y procedimientos que usan un sistema experto basado en lógica difusa. Precisamente, el estado del arte muestra serias deficiencias a la hora de implementar soluciones de ciberdefensa que reflejen la relevancia de la misión, los recursos y cometidos de una organización para una decisión mejor informada. El trabajo de investigación proporciona finalmente dos áreas claves para mejorar la toma de decisiones en ciberdefensa: un marco sólido y completo de verificación y validación para evaluar parámetros de soluciones y la elaboración de un conjunto de datos sintéticos que referencian unívocamente las fases de un ciberataque con los estándares Cyber Kill Chain y MITRE ATT & CK.[CA] La present tesi doctoral realitza una anàlisi detalladament dels elements de decisió necessaris per a millorar la comprensió de la situació en ciberdefensa amb especial èmfasi en la percepció i comprensió de l'analista d'un centre d'operacions de ciberseguretat (SOC). Es proposen dues arquitectures diferents basades en l'anàlisi forense de fluxos de dades (NF3). La primera arquitectura empra tècniques de Ensemble Machine Learning mentre que la segona és una variant de Machine Learning de major complexitat algorítmica (lambda-NF3) que ofereix un marc de defensa de major robustesa enfront d'atacs adversaris. Totes dues propostes busquen automatitzar de manera efectiva la detecció de malware i la seua posterior gestió d'incidents mostrant uns resultats satisfactoris a aproximar el que s'ha denominat un SOC de pròxima generació i de computació cognitiva (NGC2SOC). La supervisió i monitoratge d'esdeveniments per a la protecció de les xarxes informàtiques d'una organització ha d'anar acompanyada de tècniques de visualització. En aquest cas, la tesi aborda la generació de representacions tridimensionals basades en mètriques orientades a la missió i procediments que usen un sistema expert basat en lògica difusa. Precisament, l'estat de l'art mostra serioses deficiències a l'hora d'implementar solucions de ciberdefensa que reflectisquen la rellevància de la missió, els recursos i comeses d'una organització per a una decisió més ben informada. El treball de recerca proporciona finalment dues àrees claus per a millorar la presa de decisions en ciberdefensa: un marc sòlid i complet de verificació i validació per a avaluar paràmetres de solucions i l'elaboració d'un conjunt de dades sintètiques que referencien unívocament les fases d'un ciberatac amb els estàndards Cyber Kill Chain i MITRE ATT & CK.[EN] This doctoral thesis performs a detailed analysis of the decision elements necessary to improve the cyber defence situation awareness with a special emphasis on the perception and understanding of the analyst of a cybersecurity operations center (SOC). Two different architectures based on the network flow forensics of data streams (NF3) are proposed. The first architecture uses Ensemble Machine Learning techniques while the second is a variant of Machine Learning with greater algorithmic complexity (lambda-NF3) that offers a more robust defense framework against adversarial attacks. Both proposals seek to effectively automate the detection of malware and its subsequent incident management, showing satisfactory results in approximating what has been called a next generation cognitive computing SOC (NGC2SOC). The supervision and monitoring of events for the protection of an organisation's computer networks must be accompanied by visualisation techniques. In this case, the thesis addresses the representation of three-dimensional pictures based on mission oriented metrics and procedures that use an expert system based on fuzzy logic. Precisely, the state-of-the-art evidences serious deficiencies when it comes to implementing cyber defence solutions that consider the relevance of the mission, resources and tasks of an organisation for a better-informed decision. The research work finally provides two key areas to improve decision-making in cyber defence: a solid and complete verification and validation framework to evaluate solution parameters and the development of a synthetic dataset that univocally references the phases of a cyber-attack with the Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT & CK standards.Llopis Sánchez, S. (2023). Decision Support Elements and Enabling Techniques to Achieve a Cyber Defence Situational Awareness Capability [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/19424

Identifying attack surfaces in the evolving space industry using reference architectures

The space environment is currently undergoing a substantial change and many new entrants to the market are deploying devices, satellites and systems in space; this evolution has been termed as NewSpace. The change is complicated by technological developments such as deploying machine learning based autonomous space systems and the Internet of Space Things (IoST). In the IoST, space systems will rely on satellite-to-x communication and interactions with wider aspects of the ground segment to a greater degree than existing systems. Such developments will inevitably lead to a change in the cyber security threat landscape of space systems. Inevitably, there will be a greater number of attack vectors for adversaries to exploit, and previously infeasible threats can be realised, and thus require mitigation. In this paper, we present a reference architecture (RA) that can be used to abstractly model in situ applications of this new space landscape. The RA specifies high-level system components and their interactions. By instantiating the RA for two scenarios we demonstrate how to analyse the attack surface using attack trees

Cognitive Machine Individualism in a Symbiotic Cybersecurity Policy Framework for the Preservation of Internet of Things Integrity: A Quantitative Study

This quantitative study examined the complex nature of modern cyber threats to propose the establishment of cyber as an interdisciplinary field of public policy initiated through the creation of a symbiotic cybersecurity policy framework. For the public good (and maintaining ideological balance), there must be recognition that public policies are at a transition point where the digital public square is a tangible reality that is more than a collection of technological widgets. The academic contribution of this research project is the fusion of humanistic principles with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that alters our perception of the machine from an instrument of human engineering into a thinking peer to elevate cyber from technical esoterism into an interdisciplinary field of public policy. The contribution to the US national cybersecurity policy body of knowledge is a unified policy framework (manifested in the symbiotic cybersecurity policy triad) that could transform cybersecurity policies from network-based to entity-based. A correlation archival data design was used with the frequency of malicious software attacks as the dependent variable and diversity of intrusion techniques as the independent variable for RQ1. For RQ2, the frequency of detection events was the dependent variable and diversity of intrusion techniques was the independent variable. Self-determination Theory is the theoretical framework as the cognitive machine can recognize, self-endorse, and maintain its own identity based on a sense of self-motivation that is progressively shaped by the machine’s ability to learn. The transformation of cyber policies from technical esoterism into an interdisciplinary field of public policy starts with the recognition that the cognitive machine is an independent consumer of, advisor into, and influenced by public policy theories, philosophical constructs, and societal initiatives