3,624 research outputs found
Medical Cyber-Physical Systems Development: A Forensics-Driven Approach
The synthesis of technology and the medical industry has partly contributed
to the increasing interest in Medical Cyber-Physical Systems (MCPS). While
these systems provide benefits to patients and professionals, they also
introduce new attack vectors for malicious actors (e.g. financially-and/or
criminally-motivated actors). A successful breach involving a MCPS can impact
patient data and system availability. The complexity and operating requirements
of a MCPS complicates digital investigations. Coupling this information with
the potentially vast amounts of information that a MCPS produces and/or has
access to is generating discussions on, not only, how to compromise these
systems but, more importantly, how to investigate these systems. The paper
proposes the integration of forensics principles and concepts into the design
and development of a MCPS to strengthen an organization's investigative
posture. The framework sets the foundation for future research in the
refinement of specific solutions for MCPS investigations.Comment: This is the pre-print version of a paper presented at the 2nd
International Workshop on Security, Privacy, and Trustworthiness in Medical
Cyber-Physical Systems (MedSPT 2017
Forensic Attacks Analysis and the Cyber Security of Safety-Critical Industrial Control Systems
Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) applications monitor
and control a wide range of safety-related functions. These include energy generation where failures could have
significant, irreversible consequences. They also include the control systems that are used in the manufacture of
safety-related products. In this case bugs in an ICS/SCADA system could introduce flaws in the production of
components that remain undetected before being incorporated into safety-related applications. Industrial Control
Systems, typically, use devices and networks that are very different from conventional IP-based infrastructures.
These differences prevent the re-use of existing cyber-security products in ICS/SCADA environments; the
architectures, file formats and process structures are very different. This paper supports the forensic analysis of
industrial control systems in safety-related applications. In particular, we describe how forensic attack analysis is
used to identify weaknesses in devices so that we can both protect components but also determine the information
that must be analyzed during the aftermath of a cyber-incident. Simulated attacks detect vulnerabilities; a risk-based
approach can then be used to assess the likelihood and impact of any breach. These risk assessments are then used
to justify both immediate and longer-term countermeasures
Cyber-security internals of a Skoda Octavia vRS:a hands on approach
The convergence of information technology and vehicular technologies are a growing paradigm, allowing information to be sent by and to vehicles. This information can further be processed by the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Controller Area Network (CAN) for in-vehicle communications or through a mobile phone or server for out-vehicle communication. Information sent by or to the vehicle can be life-critical (e.g. breaking, acceleration, cruise control, emergency communication, etc. . . ). As vehicular technology advances, in-vehicle networks are connected to external networks through 3 and 4G mobile networks, enabling manufacturer and customer monitoring of different aspects of the car. While these services provide valuable information, they also increase the attack surface of the vehicle, and can enable long and short range attacks. In this manuscript, we evaluate the security of the 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 4x4. Both physical and remote attacks are considered, the key fob rolling code is successfully compromised, privacy attacks are demonstrated through the infotainment system, the Volkswagen Transport Protocol 2.0 is reverse engineered. Additionally, in-car attacks are highlighted and described, providing an overlook of potentially deadly threats by modifying ECU parameters and components enabling digital forensics investigation are identified
Calm before the storm: the challenges of cloud computing in digital forensics
Cloud computing is a rapidly evolving information technology (IT) phenomenon. Rather than procure, deploy and manage a physical IT infrastructure to host their software applications, organizations are increasingly deploying their infrastructure into remote, virtualized environments, often hosted and managed by third parties. This development has significant implications for digital forensic investigators, equipment vendors, law enforcement, as well as corporate compliance and audit departments (among others). Much of digital forensic practice assumes careful control and management of IT assets (particularly data storage) during the conduct of an investigation. This paper summarises the key aspects of cloud computing and analyses how established digital forensic procedures will be invalidated in this new environment. Several new research challenges addressing this changing context are also identified and discussed
Assessing and augmenting SCADA cyber security: a survey of techniques
SCADA systems monitor and control critical infrastructures of national importance such as power generation and distribution, water supply, transportation networks, and manufacturing facilities. The pervasiveness, miniaturisations and declining costs of internet connectivity have transformed these systems from strictly isolated to highly interconnected networks. The connectivity provides immense benefits such as reliability, scalability and remote connectivity, but at the same time exposes an otherwise isolated and secure system, to global cyber security threats. This inevitable transformation to highly connected systems thus necessitates effective security safeguards to be in place as any compromise or downtime of SCADA systems can have severe economic, safety and security ramifications. One way to ensure vital asset protection is to adopt a viewpoint similar to an attacker to determine weaknesses and loopholes in defences. Such mind sets help to identify and fix potential breaches before their exploitation. This paper surveys tools and techniques to uncover SCADA system vulnerabilities. A comprehensive review of the selected approaches is provided along with their applicability
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