Discrete Control of Response for Cybersecurity in Industrial Control

Abstract

Abstract Cybersecurity in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) is a crucial problem, as recent history has shown. A notable characteristic of ICS, compared to Information Technology, is the necessity to take into account the physical process, and its specific dynamics and effects on the environment, when considering cybersecurity issues. Intrusion Detection Systems have been studied extensively. In our work, we address the less classic topic of response mechanisms, and their automation in a self-protection feedback loop. More precisely, we address self-protection seen as resilience, where the functionality of the system is maintained under attacks, be it in a degraded mode. We model this as a Discrete Event Systems supervisory control problem, involving a model of the plant’s possible behaviors, a model of considered attacks, and a formulation of the control objectives. We consider a case study, and perform a prototype implementation and simulation, using the Heptagon/BZR programming language and compiler/code generator, and targeting a multi-PLC experimental platform.