CAREER: Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against Wireless Attacks

无线通信改变了现代关键基础设施的安全和高效运行。今天，在全国范围内，常见的是发现数十种无处不在但未登记的无线设备，这些设备控制着从电网断路器到航空燃料卡车、城市水阀甚至可配置的速度标志的一切。操作员无线连接到基础设施以远程监视和控制它，这是一项以前危险且耗时的任务，因为它需要物理访问基础设施。不幸的是，无线接入为攻击者提供了一个新的途径，使他们能够访问关键基础设施，同时避开所有现有的网络和物理防御。该项目引入了新的方法、工具和教育计划，为新型无线网络防御的发展奠定了基础，这些防御可以保护广泛分布的无线基础设施。该项目的教育工作将通过对关键基础设施运营商的推广工作和对代表性不足的学生进行动手计算机安全研究培训来加速无线基础设施安全的发展。该项目的目标是为分布式和多样化的无线设备部署制定通用的无线安全原则。(1)该项目将产生一种通用的移动的无线扫描方法，可以快速找到所有频率和协议的设备，并在短时间内识别大面积关键基础设施中使用的无线设备。(2)此外，项目活动包括大规模测量和开发新的无线指纹识别方法，以编制无线控制关键基础设施脆弱性的第一个分类。(3)该研究计划还包括针对分布式无线部署中的两个主要弱点开发防御措施：发现和认证。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Wireless communication has transformed the safe and efficient operation of modern critical infrastructure. Across the nation today, it is common to find many dozens of pervasive yet undocumented wireless devices controlling everything from circuit breakers on the power grid to aviation fuel trucks, city water valves, and even configurable speed signs. Operators wirelessly connect to infrastructure to remotely monitor and control it, a task that previously was hazardous and time consuming because it required physically accessing the infrastructure. Unfortunately, wireless access has created a new vector for attackers to gain access to critical infrastructure while evading all existing cyber and physical defenses. This project introduces new methodologies, tools, and education programs, seeding the growth of a new class of wireless cyber-defenses that can protect widely distributed wireless infrastructure. The project’s education efforts will accelerate the growth of wireless infrastructure security through outreach efforts to critical infrastructure operators, and hands-on computer security research training for underrepresented students.The goal of this project is to develop generalized wireless security principles for distributed and diverse deployments of wireless devices. (1) The project will result in a universal mobile wireless scanning methodology that can rapidly find devices across all frequencies and protocols and identify wireless devices used in critical infrastructure across large areas in a short time. (2) In addition, project activities include large-scale measurements and the development of new wireless fingerprinting methodologies to produce the first taxonomy of vulnerabilities in wirelessly controlled critical infrastructure. (3) The research plan also includes development of defenses for the two primary weaknesses in distributed wireless deployments: discovery and authentication.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.