Quantum Computing and Resilient Design Perspectives for Cybersecurity of Feedback Systems

Abstract

Cybersecurity of control systems is an important issue in next-generation manufacturing that can impact both operational objectives (safety and performance) as well as process designs (via hazard analysis). Cyberattacks differ from faults in that they can be coordinated efforts to exploit system vulnerabilities to create otherwise unlikely hazard scenarios. Because coordination and targeted process manipulation can be characteristics of attacks, some of the tactics previously analyzed in our group from a control system cybersecurity perspective have incorporated randomness to attempt to thwart attacks. The underlying assumption for the generation of this randomness has been that it can be achieved on a classical computer; however, quantum computers can also create random behavior in the results of computations. This work explores how errors in quantum hardware that can create non-deterministic outputs from quantum computers interact with control system cybersecurity. These studies serve as a reminder of the need to incorporate cybersecurity considerations at the process design stage.