Analytic-agent cyber dynamical systems analysis and design method for modeling spatio-temporal factors of malware propagation in wireless sensor networks

Chukwunonso Nwokoye,Ikechukwu Umeh

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2018.10.005

Abstract

Modelers often apply analytical (differential equation-based) epidemic models that mostly characterize the behavior of the network compartments with passage of time. Beyond temporal characterization, agent modeling promises the achievement of relevant spatial (stochastic and heterogeneous) representations. Arising from the combination of the prevalent analytical and agent methods (gleaned from extant literature) is a new method called the Analytic-Agent Cyber Dynamical Systems Analysis and Design Method (A2CDSADM); a modification of the Agent Oriented Analysis and Design (AOAD). Using hypothetical wireless sensor network (WSN) cases, A2CDSADM alleviates the lack of field data/lack of real geographical locations of the occurrence of particular cases by creating an analytical benchmark model for initial validation of the resulting agent model and ensures its easy modifiability and reproducibility. More so, it helps achieve the complementary/generative contribution of agent modeling, diminishes the less-tractable nature of representing/analyzing WSN spatial features and provides a formalized method for performing comparative epidemic studies. Also, A2CDSADM covers the additional features for:•Generating the (analytical) equilibriums of WSN.•Performing continuous validation (at several points) in order to ensure model accuracy/suitability for real-world decision making.•Creating a high level conceptual model containing the envisaged WSN features to be represented.

Highlights

Motivated by the sameness in connectivity realities between biological viruses and malware equivalents, we sought to study the spread of malicious codes in close-to-real world wireless sensor network (WSN) environment
Due to the limitation of the traditional analytical model which becomes less tractable with the addition of spatial features in WSN epidemiology, we complimentarily designed equivalent agent model that at first provided visualization and spatial orientation for the deployed sensor nodes
It reified other factors such as carrying capacity, sensor mobility, packet transmission etc. These models served as hypothetical cases for merging the benefits of two distinctively different modeling approaches that resulted to a hybrid method, coined as the Analytically-Agent Cyber Dynamical Systems Analysis and Design Method (A2CDSADM)

Summary

Introduction

A hypothetical case study of a wireless sensor network (WSN) model adapted from [12] and modified to include density and transmission range [13], is used. This is because the validation (or Model Alignment and Equivalence Testing) of our agent based model requires results of simulation experiments performed with the benchmark analytical model (BAM) only.

Results

Conclusion