Active Defense Research Articles

Proton motive force and antibiotic tolerance in bacteria.

Bacterial antibiotic tolerance is a decades-old phenomenon in which a bacterial sub-population, commonly known as persisters, does not respond to antibiotics and remains viable upon prolonged antimicrobial treatment. Persisters are detectable in populations of bacterial strains that are not antibiotic-resistant and are known to be responsible for treatment failure and the occurrence of chronic and recurrent infection. The clinical significance of antibiotic tolerance is increasingly being recognized and comparable to antibiotic resistance. To eradicate persisters, it is necessary to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying tolerance development. Previous works showed that bacterial antibiotic tolerance was attributed to the reduction in metabolic activities and activation of the stringent response, SOS response and the toxin-antitoxin system which down-regulates transcription functions. The latest research findings, however, showed that decreased metabolic activities alone do not confer a long-lasting tolerance phenotype in persisters, and that active defence mechanisms such as efflux and DNA repair are required for the long-term maintenance of phenotypic tolerance. As such active tolerance-maintenance mechanisms are energy-demanding, persisters need to generate and maintain the transmembrane proton motive force (PMF) for oxidative phosphorylation. This minireview summarizes the current understanding of cellular mechanisms essential for prolonged expression of phenotypic antibiotic tolerance in bacteria, with an emphasis on the importance of generation and maintenance of PMF in enabling proper functioning of the active tolerance mechanisms in persisters. How such mechanisms can be utilized as targets for the development of anti-persister strategies will be discussed.

A destructive active defense algorithm for deepfake face images

A destructive active defense algorithm for deepfake face images

Optimal strategies design of active target defense differential game

In this paper, the optimal strategies are investigated for the differential game of active target defense. Specifically, we describe a pursuitevasion game with three agents (namely, an attacker, a target and a defender). For the three agents engagement scenario, two different differential game guidance laws–pure pursuit (PP) and proportional navigation (PN)–are presented for defender. Firstly, the relative motion kinematic models of the three agents are established. We subsequently derive the coupled Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) equations to design the optimal control strategies for the three agents. Through the construction of actor-critic neural networks, optimal solutions are obtained. Then, the stability of the three-agent system is ensured, and the convergence to the Nash equilibrium equations is demonstrated. Finally, we simulate the optimal strategies employed by the attacker and the defender-target team, thereby highlighting the contrasting outcomes and superiority of different defensive approaches.

TIMFuser: A Multi-granular fusion framework for cyber threat intelligence

Cyber attack campaigns with multiple technical variants are becoming increasingly sophisticated and diverse, posing great threats to institutions and every individual. Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) offers a novel technical solution to transition from passive to active defense against cyber attacks. To counter these attacks, security practitioners need to condense CTIs from extensive CTI sources, primarily in the form of unstructured CTI reports. Unstructured CTI reports provide detailed threat information and describe multi-step attack behaviors, which are essential for uncovering complete attack scenarios. Nevertheless, automatic analysis of unstructured CTI reports is challenging. Furthermore, manual analysis is often limited to a few CTI sources. In this paper, we propose a multi-granular fusion framework for CTIs from massive CTI sources, comprising a comprehensive pipeline with six subtasks. Many current CTI extraction systems are limited by mining intelligence from a single source, thereby leading to challenges such as producing a fragmented view of attack campaigns and lower value density. We fuse the attack behaviors and attack techniques of the attack campaigns using innovative and improved multi-granular fusion methods and offer a comprehensive view of the attack. TIMFuser fills a critical gap in the automated analysis and fusion of multi-source CTIs, especially in the multi-granularity aspect. In our evaluation of 739 real-world CTI reports from 542 sources, experimental results demonstrate that TIMFuser can enable security analysts to obtain a complete view of real-world attack campaigns, in terms of fused attack behaviors and attack techniques.

Advanced Micro/Nanocapsules for Self-Healing Coatings

The concept of intelligence has many applications, such as in coatings and cyber security. Smart coatings have the ability to sense and/or respond to external stimuli and generally interact with their environment. Self-healing coatings represent a significant advance in improving material durability and performance using microcapsules and nanocontainers loaded with self-healing agents, catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, and water-repellents. These smart coatings can repair damage on their own and restore mechanical properties without external intervention and are inspired by biological systems. Properties that are affected by either momentary or continuous external stimuli in smart coatings include corrosion, fouling, fungal, self-healing, piezoelectric, and microbiological properties. These coating properties can be obtained via combinations of either organic or inorganic polymer phases, additives, and pigments. In this article, a review of the advancements in micro/nanocapsules for self-healing coatings is reported from the aspect of extrinsic self-healing ability. The concept of extrinsic self-healing coatings is based on the use of capsules or multichannel vascular systems loaded with healing agents/inhibitors. The result is that self-healing coatings exhibit improved properties compared to traditional coatings. Self-healing anticorrosive coating not only enhances passive barrier function but also realizes active defense. As a result, there is a significant improvement in the service life and overall performance of the coating. Future research should be devoted to refining self-healing mechanisms and developing cost-effective solutions for a wide range of industrial applications.

Influence of School Bullying on Motivation in Physical Education Classes

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to identify gender and age differences in motivation toward physical education (PE) and to explore the relationship between bullying roles, in PE and in the educational context in general, and motivation toward PE. A total of 1352 schoolchildren (49.7% girls) from 5th year of Compulsory Primary Education to 1st year of Baccalaureate, completed 3 questionnaires to determine their attitude toward bullying and their motivation toward PE. The findings showed that being a girl and being older provoked a lower self-determined motivation toward PE. Regarding the attitude toward bullying, active defense behavior was a significant predictor of higher self-determined motivation. Conversely, victimization predicted lower self-determined motivation and increased demotivation toward PE. Motivation toward PE is influenced by gender, age, and bullying behavior, underscoring the need to implement programs that promote active defense behaviors and reduce victimization in the educational setting through PE.

Construction and application of static stability intelligent evaluator for large power grid from the perspective of knowledge graph

Abstract Relying on information technology such as artificial intelligence, knowledge analysis on a large amount of high-dimensional real-time measurement and simulation information, and deep excavation of stable operation situations in the power grid are the core of real time intelligent security defense of large power grid. In this paper, from the perspective of the knowledge graph, considering the stability state evaluation index and optimizing control strategy information of different operation scenarios of power grid comprehensively, using the integration mechanism of information system and knowledge graph, the functional framework of intelligent evaluator for static stability in power grid is proposed, and an evaluator including static evaluation and decision-making, and general intelligent algorithm is designed. Introducing knowledge graph automation engine technology, visual display of intelligent evaluator for large power grid static stability is realized. An application case in a real power grid is given to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method. The research work is helpful to regulate and control operators to grasp the operation situation and improve the efficiency of evaluation and decision-making of the power grid. It has positive exploration application value to improve the construction of intelligent active security defense systems online in large power grids.

ShouldAR: Detecting Shoulder Surfing Attacks Using Multimodal Eye Tracking and Augmented Reality

Shoulder surfing attacks (SSAs) are a type of observation attack designed to illicitly gather sensitive data from "over the shoulder" of victims. This attack can be directed at mobile devices, desktop screens, Personal Identification Number (PIN) pads at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), or written text. Existing solutions are generally focused on authentication techniques (e.g., logins) and are limited to specific attack scenarios (e.g., mobile devices or PIN Pads). We present ShotjldAR, a mobile and usable system to detect SSAs using multimodal eye gaze information (i.e., from both the potential attacker and victim). ShouldAR uses an augmented reality headset as a platform to incorporate user eye gaze tracking, rear-facing image collection and eye gaze analysis, and user notification of potential attacks. In a 24-participant study, we show that the prototype is capable of detecting 87.28% of SSAs against both physical and digital targets, a two-fold improvement on the baseline solution using a rear-facing mirror, a widely used solution to the SSA problem. The ShouldAR approach provides an AR-based, active SSA defense that applies to both digital and physical information entry in sensitive environments.

Construction of integrated network order system of main distribution network based on power grid operation control platform

This study presents a major advance in grid management: the development and deployment of an integrated network command system for the main distribution network. The system integrates cutting-edge information technology, including modules such as command issuance, intelligent routing, security assurance and in-depth data analysis, opening a new era of refined and intelligent power grid management. The research focuses on the application of core technologies such as information communication technology, distributed control system, artificial intelligence and big data analysis, and strengthens the system operation foundation. The chapter on system architecture details the innovative integration of DDQN algorithm and attention mechanism, and carefully constructs intelligent scheduling engine and status monitoring and early warning system, which significantly improves real-time response, decision optimization and active security defense capabilities. Simulation experiments and actual case analysis verify the effectiveness of the system, specifically, the response time is reduced by 75.7%(from 2.1 s to 0.51 s in the traditional system), the data processing speed is still maintained at a high level under high load (100,000 data processing rate is 300/s), and the system stability is as high as 99.97%. The new system also achieved a high degree of automation, reducing annual operation and maintenance costs by 20%, and increasing user satisfaction to 90%, an increase of 28.6% over the previous period. These improvements not only optimize power quality and grid efficiency, but also further confirm that the fault response time is reduced by 30% and the user outage time is reduced by 25%. Therefore, this study not only highlights the innovation of the proposed system, but also demonstrates its significant contribution to accelerating the modernization of power grid management and ensuring safe operation with empirical data.

УРАХУВАННЯ ЗМІННОЇ СКЛАДОВОЇ ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ ПІДЗЕМНИХ СТАЛЕВИХ ТРУБОПРОВОДІВ ПІД ЧАС РОЗРОБКИ ЕЛЕКТРОТЕХНІЧНИХ КОМПЛЕКСІВ ДЛЯ ЇХНЬОГО ЗАХИСТУ ВІД ЕЛЕКТРОХІМІЧНОЇ КОРОЗІЇ

The paper analyzes the problem of protection of underground metal pipelines using active cathodic protection. Shortcomings and emergency situations of active defense complexes are given. Analytical dependences of determining the levels of the protective potential in the conditions of a heterogeneous environment, various variations of the topology of laying the pipeline system are generally presented. The results of comprehensive monitoring of the operation modes of electrotechnical complexes of electrochemical protection allowed to develop a universal methodology for creating energy-efficient and reliable systems of cathodic protection of pipelines. References 22, figures 11.

PPSO and Bayesian game for intrusion detection in WSN from a macro perspective

The security of wireless sensor networks is a hot topic in current research. Game theory can provide the optimal selection strategy for attackers and defenders in the attack-defense confrontation. Aiming at the problem of poor generality of previous game models, we propose a generalized Bayesian game model to analyze the intrusion detection of nodes in wireless sensor networks. Because it is difficult to solve the Nash equilibrium of the Bayesian game by the traditional method, a parallel particle swarm optimization is proposed to solve the Nash equilibrium of the Bayesian game and analyze the optimal action of the defender. The simulation results show the superiority of the parallel particle swarm optimization compared with other heuristic algorithms. This algorithm is proved to be effective in finding optimal defense strategy. The influence of the detection rate and false alarm rate of nodes on the profit of defender is analyzed by simulation experiments. Simulation experiments show that the profit of defender decreases as false alarm rate increases and decreases as detection rate decreases. Using heuristic algorithm to solve Nash equilibrium of Bayesian game provides a new method for the research of attack-defense confrontation. Predicting the actions of attacker and defender through the game model can provide ideas for the defender to take active defense.

Highly reliable DHR-based polar compilation code communication method

The advent of fifth-generation mobile communication technology, 5G, has raised the bar for data transmission rates, information security, and reliability. Polar codes, the channel coding scheme in the 5G communication standard, encounter issues of singularity, limitations, and passivity in the face of unknown attacks. Therefore, this study introduces a highly reliable DHR-based polar coding communication approach. Drawing parallels between cyber attacks and channel noise, the method incorporates reconfigurable executors, decoding decisions, strategy scheduling, and other mechanisms to enable active defense. The True Relatively Axiom (TRA) is employed to theoretically validate the method’s heterogeneity, redundancy, and dynamics. Comparative simulation experiments with traditional polar decoding algorithms, such as SCL, SC, BP, SCAN, and SSC decoding algorithms, demonstrate that the proposed method not only improves secure transmission efficiency but also guarantees secure and reliable transmission across various attack scenarios. Our code is available at https://github.com/yuluzi/my-code.git.

Rising sun in the cyber domain: Japan’s strategic shift toward active cyber defense

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of Japan’s evolving cyber defense capabilities and explores its future challenges. National security has transformed in the twenty first century, with cyberspace becoming a key conflict domain. Japan, like other nations, has adapted to these changes. In 2022, the Japanese government introduced its active cyber defense concept. The National Security Strategy of 2022 stated the government’s posture for active cyber defense, which pre-emptively neutralizes adversary computers. This marked a turning point in Japan’s security and defense. This strategic shift, which occurred notably between 2000 and 2022, exemplifies Japan’s transition in the cyber domain. The scope of protecting cyberspace has evolved from primarily safeguarding civilian infrastructure to adopting proactive measures. This evolution is analyzed in the paper, which contrasts Japan’s approach with Western nations’ military-driven cyber policies. Additionally, the multifaceted challenges and opportunities arising from this paradigm shift in cyber capability development are explored. The analysis encompasses key aspects, including the policy formation, international cooperation, budgetary allocations, and the progress of organizational structures regarding the cyber domain. Furthermore, the study explores Japan’s future trajectory in cyber defense, with a particular focus on its role within the ‘Multi-Domain Defense Force’ and the dynamics of the Japan-US alliance.

Attack–defense strategy of UAV swarm based on DEP-SIQ in the active target defense scenario

Attack–defense strategy of UAV swarm based on DEP-SIQ in the active target defense scenario

NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE TOOLS OF CYBER POWER: A REVIEW ON THE AREAS OF STATE HEGEMONIA

In the post-Cold War era, in terms of international relations, 'cyber security' emerges as a significant security issue for the spheres of state sovereignty beyond the personal sphere. In addition to the harmful effects of cyber threats on the functioning of public institutions and organizations, İt also raises a problem for states, such as managing perception operations by creating a society more open to manipulative influences. In our globalizing world, as the most important actor of the system, the States' dependence on each other has increased, and at the same time, there has been a period in which the fundamental security issues are intertwined for the States. In such a situation where it is not possible for the States to define themselves outside the system, classical realist approaches are insufficient to explain the changing -and increasingly abstracted-security areas. Nation-states must develop more complex skills and prioritize cooperation to deal with these new security threats. In our study, which focuses on the national cyber security perceptions of states, the measures taken by the States in the cyber world on priority issues, such as institutional functioning and survival problems, are analyzed in terms of national security strategies. On the theme of 'new security', the main focus is the necessity for actors to develop new defense capabilities within the framework of the 'quick response and easy adaptation' in the face of increasing and diversifying cyber threats. In our study, which deals with the efforts of digital Nation-states to increase their effectiveness in cyberspace in determining the 21st-century sovereignty areas and the increase in their tendency towards cyber warfare tools, the active/passive defense methods followed by the States in the perspective of cyber security strategies have been evaluated. In this context, it is the most acceptable method for the States to prefer the 'active defense model' in order to avoid cyber attacks against vital institutions such as education and health.

Transcriptomic responses of ‘Huping jujube’ (Zizyphus jujuba mill. cv. Huping) fruit to combined treatment of acidic electrolyzed water and high-voltage electrostatic field

The molecular mechanism underlying the preserving superior quality attributes of postharvest Huping jujube fruit by combining acidic electrolyzed water and high-voltage electrostatic field (AH) treatment remained unclear. The high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed a total of 3590 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the T-W-CK0 vs T-W-CK75 and T-W-CK75 vs T-W-AH75 groups. AH treatment down-regulated most genes associated with respiratory metabolism, as well as lignin and anthocyanin biosynthesis, thereby maintaining lower physiological activities, improving taste and color quality of mature-white jujube. Additionally, AH treatment downregulated the genes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and disease resistance, while simultaneously upregulating the genes associated with ROS elimination. This suggested that AH treatment could inhibit pathogen infection to prevent the activation of plants’ active defense and reduce the ROS-induced damage. In sum, the present study provided a comprehension explanation that AH treatment improved the storage quality attributes of jujube fruit at the genetic level.

Decoding nature's defense dance: Mechanistic insights into biochemical and metabolic shifts in Cajanus cajan and Cajanus platycarpus during combat with the lepidopteran pest Helicoverpa armigera provide evidence for non-host plant immunity

This study provides intriguing mechanistic insights into the innate immunity of the pigeonpea wild relative, Cajanus platycarpus, in comparison to the cultivated Cajanus cajan, based on biochemical and metabolic changes during Helicoverpa armigera infestation. Over a 96 h herbivory challenge, both species exhibited 164 metabolites, with 54 undergoing significant alterations. In C. platycarpus, primary carbohydrates such as sucrose, glucose, galactose, and mannose decreased, while structural carbohydrates like xylose, talose, and tagatose accumulated, indicating cell wall damage in C. cajan. Notably, C. platycarpus down-regulated most amino acids except for phenylalanine, which is crucial for the synthesis of defense compounds. The linoleic/linolenic acid pathway, which produces jasmonic acid, was exclusively identified in C. platycarpus, highlighting active defense. As herbivory continued, levels of galactinol, mannitol, and pinitol significantly increased in C. platycarpus, while sorbitol and xylitol levels rose in C. cajan. Essentially, C. platycarpus reduced nutrient availability to insects, enhanced specific defense hormones and pathways, and maintained reactive oxygen species (ROS) equilibrium. These findings offer significant potential for understanding the biology of the wild relative and developing innovative strategies for herbivore control and food sustainability.

MTD-Diorama: Moving Target Defense Visualization Engine for Systematic Cybersecurity Strategy Orchestration.

With the advancement in information and communication technology, modern society has relied on various computing systems in areas closely related to human life. However, cyberattacks are also becoming more diverse and intelligent, with personal information and human lives being threatened. The moving target defense (MTD) strategy was designed to protect mission-critical systems from cyberattacks. The MTD strategy shifted the paradigm from passive to active system defense. However, there is a lack of indicators that can be used as a reference when deriving general system components, making it difficult to configure a systematic MTD strategy. Additionally, even when selecting system components, a method to confirm whether the systematic components are selected to respond to actual cyberattacks is needed. Therefore, in this study, we surveyed and analyzed existing cyberattack information and MTD strategy research results to configure a component dataset. Next, we found the correlation between the cyberattack information and MTD strategy component datasets and used this to design and implement the MTD-Diorama data visualization engine to configure a systematic MTD strategy. Through this, researchers can conveniently identify the attack surface contained in cyberattack information and the MTD strategies that can respond to each attack surface. Furthermore, it will allow researchers to configure more systematic MTD strategies that can be used universally without being limited to specific computing systems.

Eudaimonic Well-Being as a Moderator of the Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction

Aim This study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of eudaimonic well-being in mitigating the adverse effects of depressive symptoms. Background The dual continua model conceptualizes mental well-being and mental illness as related yet independent dimensions. According to this framework, well-being can serve as an active defense against mental illness. Objective Building on the dual continua model, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and life satisfaction and the potential moderating role of eudaimonic well-being. Methods This hypothesis was tested using a national sample of 17,357 people from 8,162 households in South Korea. Bayesian multi-level modeling was used for data analysis. Results The results showed that eudaimonic well-being moderated the relationship between depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Depressive symptoms were found to have a significant negative effect on life satisfaction in individuals with low and moderate eudaimonic well-being. However, in individuals with high eudaimonic well-being, depressive symptoms had no significant effect on life satisfaction. Conclusion These results suggest that eudaimonic well-being plays an important role in mitigating the effects of depressive symptoms on life satisfaction.

Analytical game strategies for active UAV defense considering response delays

In the realm of aerial warfare, the protection of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) against adversarial threats is crucial. In order to balance the impact of response delays and the demand for onboard applications, this paper derives three analytical game strategies for the active defense of UAVs from differential game theory, accommodating the first-order dynamic delays. The targeted UAV executes evasive maneuvers and launches a defending missile to intercept the attacking missile, which constitutes a UAV-Missile-Defender (UMD) three-body game problem. We explore two distinct operational paradigms: the first involves the UAV and the defender working collaboratively to intercept the incoming threat, while the second prioritizes UAV self-preservation, with independent maneuvering away from potentially sacrificial engagements. Starting with model linearization and order reduction, the Collaborative Interception Strategy (CIS) is first derived via a linear quadratic differential game formulation. Building upon CIS, we further explore two distinct strategies: the Informed Defender Interception Strategy (IDIS), which utilizes UAV maneuvering information, and the Unassisted Defender Interception Strategy (UDIS), which does not rely on UAV maneuvering information. Additionally, we investigate the conditions for the existence of saddle point solutions and their relationship with vehicle maneuverability and response agility. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed strategies.