Emerging Education Challenges for Resilient Cyber Physical Systems

Abstract

AbstractEngineering resilient cyber physical systems (CPS) is viewed as a systems engineering (SE) challenge. The research and education programs in computer and software security and resilience were advanced through the 1990's with many formal approaches to system reliability, security, dependability, and safety. Since that time, the internet and the information security needs in information technology (IT) systems has had a large education focus. Meanwhile, the scale and complexity of today's critical computing systems used in engineering domains has increased immensely. There has not been a related increased focus on research, knowledge, and education specifically addressing dependable and secure computing in domains such as infrastructure, industrial control, defense, and emerging commercial autonomous systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). While security education in the U.S. has greatly expanded in the domain of IT systems and related computer science and engineering fields, there exists a lack of engineering education programs and opportunities for engineering graduates to gain knowledge and skills related to design of secure, safe, and dependable CPS, what we call resilient CPS. There is also a lack of investment in laboratory facilities that can simulate large scale CPS, which are costlier to develop than IT related facilities. Formal research or studies in CPS and resilient computing related curricula are also difficult to find, although the domain is well researched. This paper discusses the primary foundations and characteristics of resilient CPS as a step toward a general taxonomy, the emerging needs and gaps in engineering education related to these systems, and the knowledge areas and bodies of knowledge that are already established or need to be developed in the education system. The goal is to bring broad attention in the systems engineering community to these needs.