CPS: Synergy: Securing the Timing of Cyber-Physical Systems

该项目解决了网络物理系统中的定时攻击，攻击者试图通过改变计算和通信操作的时间来破坏系统功能。定时攻击对网络物理系统的破坏性特别大，因为系统功能的正确性不仅受到操作数据值的影响，而且还受到操作时间的影响。该项目中开发的发现和方法将为解决定时攻击提供根本性的进步，并导致在许多关键领域设计和实施更安全的网络物理系统，包括汽车和运输系统，工业自动化和机器人技术。除了通过出版物和研讨会传播研究成果外，研究所还将与行业合作伙伴合作，将研究成果转化为实践。PI还将把研究整合到UCR的课程中，并通过使用Lego Mindstorm平台将其用于K-12教育。该项目将建立一个框架，用于识别，分析和保护网络物理系统免受定时攻击。构建该框架包括三个密切相关的研究重点：1）调查潜在的基于时间的攻击面，并进一步分析攻击可能导致的时间变化的类型和模式，以及攻击者如何试图隐藏此类攻击的痕迹。2)根据识别的攻击面和策略，分析这些攻击导致的时序变化如何影响整体系统属性，特别是安全性、稳定性和性能。3)针对定时攻击制定基于控制的网络安全防御策略。这包括跨控制层和嵌入式系统层的运行时安全检测器和缓解/适应策略，以及设计时机制，以提供对定时攻击有弹性的系统。该项目将侧重于车辆网络和多智能体机器人系统作为主要应用领域。

This project addresses timing attacks in cyber-physical systems, where attackers attempt to compromise the system functionality by changing the timing of computation and communication operations. Timing attacks could be particularly destructive for cyber-physical systems because the correctness of system functionality is affected not only by the data values of operations but also significantly by at what time operations are conducted. The discoveries and methodologies developed in this project will provide fundamental advances in addressing timing attacks, and lead to the design and implementation of more secure cyber-physical systems in a number of key sectors, including automotive and transportation systems, industrial automation, and robotics. In addition to disseminate the research results through publications and workshops, the PIs will collaborate with industry partners on transitioning the research findings into practice. The PIs will also integrate the research into the curriculum at UCR and leverage it for K-12 education through the use of Lego Mindstorm platforms.The project will build a framework for identifying, analyzing and protecting cyber-physical systems against timing attacks. Building the framework consists of three closely-related research thrusts: 1) Investigate potential timing-based attack surface, and further analyze what types and patterns of timing variations the attacks may cause and how attackers may try to hide the traces of such attacks. 2) Based on the identified attack surface and strategies, analyze how timing changes caused by these attacks may affect the overall system properties, in particular safety, stability and performance. 3) Develop control-based and cyber-security defense strategies against timing attacks. This includes run-time security detectors and mitigation/adaptation strategies across control layer and embedded system layer, as well as design-time mechanisms to provide systems that are resilient to timing attacks. This project will focus on vehicle networks and multi-agent robotic systems as main application domains.