A Bio-immunology Inspired Industrial Control System Security Model

Abstract

Industrial Control System (ICS) security is inadequate to protect ICS from Advanced Persistent Threats (APT). APTs attack ICS in such a way that they are detected after a long time in the system. This paper proposes the use of the biological immune system as a foundation for developing ICS security architecture because the biological immune system is renowned for defending the body from pathogens. The paper compares how the Biological Immune System (BIS) defends the body from pathogens and how ICS are secured from invasion by any attack. By considering the similarities and differences between ICS security and the BIS operation and taking into consideration current research on ICS security a bio-immunology inspired security model to defend ICS was designed. The proposed model was designed using design science research and initial results are presented in this paper.