CRII: CPS SaTC: Securing Smart Cyberphysical Systems against Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

网络物理系统越来越成为世界各地黑客的首要目标。我们还看到互联网连接的关键基础设施的激增，这些基础设施允许轻松监控，可视化和控制。2013年2月，美国总统签署了一项行政命令“改善关键基础设施网络安全”，强调迫切需要保护这些关键基础设施免受恶意攻击。因此，该项目正在开发数学工具和方法，以设计与智能控制算法相结合的安全通信协议，以确保网络物理系统的安全。PI正在利用网络安全和优化方面的研究来设计算法，这些算法优化了系统性能，并提供了对各种网络攻击的免疫力。PI和他的学生们也在创建一个测试平台，在这个平台上，设计的算法将被测试。该项目更广泛的影响是引入新的数学方法来设计安全系统，并形成跨学科的新合作。该项目还培训了一名研究生和两名本科生，他们正在从事该项目。该项目的某些部分将作为案例研究纳入未来的本科课程。此外，该项目旨在提高下一代工程师和科学家对关键基础设施网络安全的认识。这是首批广泛研究预防-解密和最佳控制策略联合设计的项目之一。分析中的主要困难是：（i）控制系统的动态;（ii）由于外源因素引起的不确定性;以及（iii）由于加密-解密算法和实时操作系统引起的信息传输延迟。利用分散最优控制、密码学、网络安全和博弈论的基础理论，PI正在为大型基础设施设计防御-解密-控制策略。由于控制系统固有的动态性质，用于加密数据的密码密钥被动态地改变以减少信息泄漏给对手的可能性。此外，如果控制器感测到数据的篡改，则其以保证系统稳定性和性能的方式动作。这些算法考虑到（i）由于攻击而在信道中引入的错误，（ii）由于加密解密协议而引起的延迟，以及（iii）实时操作系统所施加的实时通信和计算约束。因此，设计的算法预计将是弹性的攻击，并将能够适应不断变化的系统参数。

Cyber-physical systems have increasingly become top targets for hackers around the world. We are also seeing proliferation of internet-connected critical infrastructures that allow for easy monitoring, visualization, and control. In February 2013, US president signed an executive order "Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity" that underscores the urgent need for securing such critical infrastructure against malicious attacks. Accordingly, this project is developing mathematical tools and approaches to design secure communication protocol in tandem with smart control algorithms to secure cyber-physical systems. The PI is leveraging research in network security and optimization to devise the algorithms, which optimize system performance and provides immunity against a wide class of cyber-attacks. The PI and his students are also creating a testbed on which the designed algorithms will be tested. The broader impact of the project is to introduce novel mathematical methods for designing secure systems and form new collaboration cutting across various disciplines. The project is also training a graduate student and two undergraduate students, who are working on the project. Some part of the project will be included as case studies in future undergraduate classes. Further, the project aims at increasing the awareness about cybersecurity of critical infrastructures among next generation of engineers and scientists.This is among the first projects to extensively investigate the joint design of encryption-decryption and optimal control strategies. The key difficulties in the analyses are: (i) the dynamics of the control system; (ii) uncertainties due to exogenous factors; and (iii) the delays in the information transfer due to encryption-decryption algorithms and the real-time operating systems. Using the foundational theory of decentralized optimal control, cryptography, network security, and game theory, the PI is designing encryption-decryption-control strategies for large-scale infrastructures. Due to inherently dynamic nature of the control system, the cryptographic key used for encrypting the data is changed dynamically to reduce the possibility of leakage of information to the adversary. Further, if a controller senses tampering of data, then it acts in a manner that guarantees system stability and performance. These algorithms take into account (i) errors introduced in the channel due to attacks, (ii) delays due to encryption-decryption protocol, and (iii) real-time communication and computational constraints imposed by real-time operating systems. The algorithms thus designed are expected to be resilient to attacks and will be able to adapt itself to changing system parameters.