Detecting deception attacks in cyber‐physical linear parameter varying systems with packet loss

Abstract

SummaryThe increased connectivity of cyber‐physical systems (CPS) to enterprise networks raises challenging security concerns. Detecting attacks on CPS is a vital step to improving their security. Most of the existing attack detectors are for CPS with linear dynamics. In this study, an investigation is made for designing a detector of deception attacks in a cyber‐physical linear parameter varying (LPV) system in the presence of packet loss. A model‐based attack detector is designed to detect deception attacks on output measurements, actuators, or schedule variables. With an unreliable network, the LPV attack detector enhances detection capacity and attenuates disturbances on the detector module to improve detection accuracy. During communication, packet loss results in network unreliability, which is modeled by the Bernoulli process. Stochastic stability is used to determine LPV attack detector parameters. A residual signal is built by comparing the detector's output and the actual sensor measurement and provides the deception attack's essential data. However, the packet loss causes some impulse signals in the residual signal, resulting in false alarms. Therefore, the detector module is equipped with a median filter to suppress packet loss's effect on evaluating the residual signal. Tests and validations of the proposed approach are performed on a two‐tank system and a continuous stirred tank reactor. According to evaluation results conducted on two testbeds, the proposed method accurately detects deception attacks even when there is packet loss.