Closing the loop of SIEM analysis to Secure Critical Infrastructures

Critical Infrastructure Protection is one of the main challenges of last years. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems are widely used for coping with this challenge. However, they currently present several limitations that have to be overcome. In this paper we propose an enhanced SIEM system in which we have introduced novel components to i) enable multiple layer data analysis; ii) resolve conflicts among security policies, and discover unauthorized data paths in such a way to be able to reconfigure network devices. Furthermore, the system is enriched by a Resilient Event Storage that ensures integrity and unforgeability of events stored.Comment: EDCC-2014, BIG4CIP-2014, Security Information and Event Management, Decision Support System, Hydroelectric Da

Pseudomonas protegens MP12: A plant growth-promoting endophytic bacterium with broad-spectrum antifungal activity against grapevine phytopathogens

Abstract Pseudomonas sp. MP12 was isolated from a soil sample collected in a typical warm-temperate deciduous forest near Brescia, Northern Italy. Phylogenetic analysis identified the species as Pseudomonas protegens. We evidenced in this strain the presence of the genes phlD, pltB and prnC responsible for the synthesis of the antifungal compounds 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG), pyoluteorin and pyrrolnitrin, respectively. P. protegens MP12 was also shown to produce siderophores and ammonia, yielded positive results with the indole-3-acetic acid test, and was capable of phosphate solubilization. Moreover, P. protegens MP12 exhibited inhibitory effects on in vitro mycelial growth of prominent grapevine (Vitis vinifera) phytopathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum and Neofusicoccum parvum. The strain showed activity even against Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum, which cause the devastating tracheomycosis/esca disease of grapevine trunks for which no efficacious control methods have been demonstrated so far. Furthermore, the MP12 strain manifested in vivo antifungal activity against B. cinerea on grapevine leaves. Culture-dependent and culture-independent analysis revealed the ability of P. protegens MP12 to efficiently and permanently colonize inner grapevine tissues. These results suggest that P. protegens MP12 could be worth of exploitation as an antifungal biocontrol agent for applications in viticulture

A formal approach for network security policy validation

Network security is a crucial aspect for administrators due to increasing network size and number of functions and controls (e.g.firewall, DPI, parental control). Errors in configuring security controls may result in serious security breaches and vulnerabilities (e.g. blocking legitimate traffic or permitting unwanted traffic) that must be absolutely detected and addressed. This work proposes a novel approach for validating network policy enforcement, by checking the network status and configuration, and detection of the possible causes in case of misconfiguration or software attacks. Our contribution exploits formal methods to model and validate the packet processing and forwarding behaviour of security controls, and to validate the trustworthiness of the controls by using remote attestation. A prototype implementation of this approach is proposed to validate different scenarios

The Boost 4.0 Experience

In the last few years, the potential impact of big data on the manufacturing industry has received enormous attention. This chapter details two large-scale trials that have been implemented in the context of the lighthouse project Boost 4.0. The chapter introduces the Boost 4.0 Reference Model, which adapts the more generic BDVA big data reference architectures to the needs of Industry 4.0. The Boost 4.0 reference model includes a reference architecture for the design and implementation of advanced big data pipelines and the digital factory service development reference architecture. The engineering and management of business network track and trace processes in high-end textile supply are explored with a focus on the assurance of Preferential Certification of Origin (PCO). Finally, the main findings from these two large-scale piloting activities in the area of service engineering are discussed.publishersversionpublishe

Burkholderia sp. DBT1 a promising bacterial strain for bioremediation protocols non-related to the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC)

Burkholderia sp. DBT1 is a bacterial strain formerly isolated from the wastewater dicharge pipeline of an oil refinery located in Tuscany, Italy. It is cable of biodegrading dibenzothiophene (DBT) in liquid culture through the “Kodama pathway” within three days of incubation. Molecular characterization of the strain DBT1 has shown the presence of an unusual genetic structure. Actually, the genes involved in dibenzothiophene transformation are harbored in two operons (namely, p51 and pH1A) and show low similarity to both nah-like and phn-like genes. Since DBT results to be a recalcitrant compound and tends to bioaccumulate throughout the food chain, isolation and characterization of bacterial strains able to use it as sole source of carbon and energy is of great interest for bioremediation purposes. Nevertheless for a safe exploitation of Burkholderia sp. DBT1 in bioremediation protocols, the exclusion of such strain from the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is of prominent importance. Actually, members of this complex are responsible for opportunistic human infections. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the taxonomic position of DBT1 within the genus Burkholderia, in order to demonstrate no affiliation of this strain to BCC. Both classical (API 20E, API 20 NE, fatty acid composition, carbon source utilization) and molecular (PCR protocols, DNA sequencing, DNA-DNA hybridization) analyses were carried out. Burkholderia DBT1 has been compared with strains belonging to its phylogenetic surrounding, (namely, B. fungorum, B. graminis, B. cepacia and B. caledonica). All results obtained indicate a strong relationship of DBT1 with B. fungorum. In particular, the sequencing of both 16S hypervariable regions (V3 and V6-V8) and housekeeping protein-coding genes (i.e. RecA and GyrB) evidenced such a high similarity with B. fungorum as well as a great divergence from B. cepacia strains. Moreover, the PCR reaction aimed to detect in DBT1 the presence of esmR, a molecular markers encoding for “B. cepacia epidemic strain marker” (BCESM), gave a negative result. Finally, the DNA-DNA hybridization analysis definitively revealed the affiliation of DBT1 strain to Burkholderia fungorum species, with a percentage of hybridization of 78,2 ± 2,9%

D06.c2: WYSIWYS application design specification

Deliverable Open_T

Diversity, Distribution and Functional Role of Bacterial Endophytes in Vitis vinifera - [Chapter 10]

Associations between microorganisms and botanical species play an important role in the ability of plants to survive and thrive in diverse environments, by better facing unfavorable climatic and edaphic conditions or by determining either a greater vegetative development or possibly the resistance to diseases and pests. In this article, we focus on the relationship between grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and its endophytic plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), i.e., the endophytes that stimulate and facilitate grapevine growth. Most previous studies have considered the ability of such microbes to help plants draw nutrients from the soil or to counter the effect of phytopathogens. Here, we discuss recent studies concerning the infection process, the spatiotemporal localization of endophytic PGPB in grapevine, and particularly their contribution to plant growth and defense against pathogens in this important fruit crop