1 - A Cyber-Physical World

Abstract

Conventional cyber attacks affect primarily the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and services in cyberspace. Cyber-physical attacks are the particular category of cyber attacks that, whether intentionally or not, also adversely affect physical space by targeting the computational and communication infrastructure that allows people and systems to monitor and control sensors and actuators. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the concepts and components that bridge cyberspace with physical space, and defines what is and what is not a cyber-physical attack in relation to its impact on sensing and actuation.