Ensuring Cyber-Security in Smart Railway Surveillance with SHIELD

Modern railways feature increasingly complex embedded computing systems for surveillance, that are moving towards fully wireless smart-sensors. Those systems are aimed at monitoring system status from a physical-security viewpoint, in order to detect intrusions and other environmental anomalies. However, the same systems used for physical-security surveillance are vulnerable to cyber-security threats, since they feature distributed hardware and software architectures often interconnected by ‘open networks’, like wireless channels and the Internet. In this paper, we show how the integrated approach to Security, Privacy and Dependability (SPD) in embedded systems provided by the SHIELD framework (developed within the EU funded pSHIELD and nSHIELD research projects) can be applied to railway surveillance systems in order to measure and improve their SPD level. SHIELD implements a layered architecture (node, network, middleware and overlay) and orchestrates SPD mechanisms based on ontology models, appropriate metrics and composability. The results of prototypical application to a real-world demonstrator show the effectiveness of SHIELD and justify its practical applicability in industrial settings

Hierarchical Design Based Intrusion Detection System For Wireless Ad hoc Network

In recent years, wireless ad hoc sensor network becomes popular both in civil and military jobs. However, security is one of the significant challenges for sensor network because of their deployment in open and unprotected environment. As cryptographic mechanism is not enough to protect sensor network from external attacks, intrusion detection system needs to be introduced. Though intrusion prevention mechanism is one of the major and efficient methods against attacks, but there might be some attacks for which prevention method is not known. Besides preventing the system from some known attacks, intrusion detection system gather necessary information related to attack technique and help in the development of intrusion prevention system. In addition to reviewing the present attacks available in wireless sensor network this paper examines the current efforts to intrusion detection system against wireless sensor network. In this paper we propose a hierarchical architectural design based intrusion detection system that fits the current demands and restrictions of wireless ad hoc sensor network. In this proposed intrusion detection system architecture we followed clustering mechanism to build a four level hierarchical network which enhances network scalability to large geographical area and use both anomaly and misuse detection techniques for intrusion detection. We introduce policy based detection mechanism as well as intrusion response together with GSM cell concept for intrusion detection architecture.Comment: 16 pages, International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications (IJNSA), Vol.2, No.3, July 2010. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1111.1933 by other author

A review of cyber threats and defence approaches in emergency management

Emergency planners, first responders and relief workers increasingly rely on computational and communication systems that support all aspects of emergency management, from mitigation and preparedness to response and recovery. Failure of these systems, whether accidental or because of malicious action, can have severe implications for emergency management. Accidental failures have been extensively documented in the past and significant effort has been put into the development and introduction of more resilient technologies. At the same time researchers have been raising concerns about the potential of cyber attacks to cause physical disasters or to maximise the impact of one by intentionally impeding the work of the emergency services. Here, we provide a review of current research on the cyber threats to communication, sensing, information management and vehicular technologies used in emergency management. We emphasise on open issues for research, which are the cyber threats that have the potential to affect emergency management severely and for which solutions have not yet been proposed in the literature

Cybersecurity for Industry 4.0 in the current literature: A reference framework

The cybersecurity issues represent a complex challenge for all companies committing to Industry 4.0 paradigm. On the other hand, the characterization of cybersecurity concept within Industry 4.0 contexts proved to be an emerging and relevant topic in the recent literature. The paper proposes to analyse, through a systematic literature review approach, the way in which the existing state of art deals with the cybersecurity issues in Industry 4.0 contexts. In particular, the focus will be on the investigation of the main elements associated with cybersecurity theme (i.e. asset involved into cyber-attacks, system vulnerabilities, cyber threats, risks and countermeasures) within those industrial contexts where physical systems (machines, shop floors, plants) are connected each other via the Internet. Four areas of analysis are defined: definitions of cybersecurity and Industry 4.0 concepts, the industrial focus of the analysed studies, the cybersecurity characterization and the management attempts of cybersecurity issues. Through the literature review analysis, a framework of the main features characterizing each area is discussed, providing interesting evidences for future research and applications

Ontology in Information Security

The past several years we have witnessed that information has become the most precious asset, while protection and security of information is becoming an ever greater challenge due to the large amount of knowledge necessary for organizations to successfully withstand external threats and attacks. This knowledge collected from the domain of information security can be formally described by security ontologies. A large number of researchers during the last decade have dealt with this issue, and in this paper we have tried to identify, analyze and systematize the relevant papers published in scientific journals indexed in selected scientific databases, in period from 2004 to 2014. This paper gives a review of literature in the field of information security ontology and identifies a total of 52 papers systematized in three groups: general security ontologies (12 papers), specific security ontologies (32 papers) and theoretical works (8 papers). The papers were of different quality and level of detail and varied from presentations of simple conceptual ideas to sophisticated frameworks based on ontology

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

A risk analysis and risk management methodology for mitigating wireless local area networks (WLANs) intrusion security risks

Every environment is susceptible to risks and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard are no exception. The most apparent risk of WLANs is the ease with which itinerant intruders obtain illicit entry into these networks. These intrusion security risks must therefore be addressed which means that information security risk analysis and risk management need to be considered as integral elements of the organisation’s business plan. A well-established qualitative risk analysis and risk management methodology, the Operationally Critical Threat Asset and Vulnerability Evaluation (OCTAVE) is selected for conducting the WLAN intrusion security risk analysis and risk management process. However, the OCTAVE risk analysis methodology is beset with a number of problems that could hamper a successful WLAN intrusion security risk analysis. The ultimate deliverable of this qualitative risk analysis methodology is the creation of an organisation-wide protection strategy and risk mitigation plan. Achieving this end using the OCTAVE risk analysis methodology requires an inordinate amount of time, ranging from months to years. Since WLANs are persistently under attack, there is a dire need for an expeditious risk analysis methodology. Furthermore, the OCTAVE risk analysis methodology stipulates the identification of assets and corresponding threat scenarios via a brainstorming session, which may be beyond the scope of a person who is not proficient in information security issues. This research was therefore inspired by the pivotal need for a risk analysis and risk management methodology to address WLAN intrusion attacks and the resulting risks they pose to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information processed by these networks. CopyrightDissertation (MSc (Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Computer Scienceunrestricte