Critical Systems Research Articles

Enhancing big data analytics deployment: uncovering stakeholder dynamics and balancing salience in project roles

Deployment constitutes a pivotal aspect of data science projects, such as big data analytics (BDA). A comprehensive definition of successful deployment necessitates the integration of perspectives from both the project stakeholders and the end-users. However, adequate consideration of project stakeholders remains notably absent within the broader view of project deployment. This paper investigates the role of stakeholders in the deployment of BDA projects by applying an ethnographic research design throughout a 12-month period within a large multinational organization. The study employs critical systems heuristics concepts to identify stakeholder roles, which are subsequently classified and analyzed according to the salience model. The empirical findings point towards the missing link between the technical and the business aspects of a BDA project. The organizational function and product management, (capable of comprehending both the technical and business dimensions) must undertake a highly salient stakeholder role to effectively guide the project toward the successful deployment. Additionally, this role will be able to identify the exact beneficiaries, thus enabling them to increase their salience and their interests to resonate across the spectrum of project stakeholders. This study advances the knowledge and understanding of BDA deployment through the lens of a stakeholder perspective and systems thinking. It uncovers the necessary resources by mapping the social roles of a project and assessing their salience. Balancing role-based salience contributes to successful BDA project deployment.

A review of intentional electromagnetic interference in power electronics: Conducted and radiated susceptibility

AbstractWith the advancements in Industry 4.0 and the global demand for sustainable energy, power electronics devices are emerging as pivotal components for modern industrial, transportation, and energy delivery. Ensuring the security of these devices is of paramount importance for safeguarding the reliable operation of critical systems against any threats. In recent years, the issue of intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI) attack and their related countermeasures have gained widespread attention in both military and civilian power electronics sectors. Here, a review of IEMI in power electronics is provided. Starting from the electromagnetic compatibility standards, the test setups for evaluating the device immunity are introduced. Due to different attack modes and propagation paths, IEMI illuminations are typically categorized into conduction and radiation, where their susceptibility studies, applications, and defence strategies are discussed, respectively. Finally, the existing challenges, ongoing trends, and future topics in this field are discussed.

Systematic hierarchical analysis of requirements for critical systems

AbstractSafety and security are key considerations in the design of critical systems. Requirements analysis methods rely on the expertise and experience of human intervention to make critical judgements. While human judgement is essential to an analysis method, it is also important to ensure a degree of formality so that we reason about safety and security at early stages of analysis and design, rather than detect problems later. In this paper, we present a hierarchical and incremental analysis process that aims to justify the design and flow-down of derived critical requirements arising from safety hazards and security vulnerabilities identified at the system level. The safety and security analysis at each level uses STPA-style action analysis to identify hazards and vulnerabilities. At each level, we verify that the design achieves the safety or security requirements by backing the analysis with formal modelling and proof using Event-B refinement. The formal model helps to identify hazards/vulnerabilities arising from the design and how they relate to the safety accidents/security losses being considered at this level. We then re-apply the same process to each component of the design in a hierarchical manner. Thus, we use hazard and vulnerability analysis, together with refinement-based formal modelling and verification, to drive the design, replacing the system level requirements with component requirements. In doing so, we decompose critical system-level requirements down to component-level requirements, transforming them from abstract system level requirements, towards concrete solutions that we can implement correctly so that the hazards/vulnerabilities are mitigated.

The long-term expansion and recession of human populations

Over the last 12,000 y, human populations have expanded and transformed critical earth systems. Yet, a key unresolved question in the environmental and social sciences remains: Why did human populations grow and, sometimes, decline in the first place? Our research builds on 20 y of archaeological research studying the deep time dynamics of human populations to propose an explanation for the long-term growth and stability of human populations. Innovations in the productive capacity of populations fuels exponential-like growth over thousands of years; however, innovations saturate over time and, often, may leave populations vulnerable to large recessions in their well-being and population density. Empirically, we find a trade-off between changes in land use that increase the production and consumption of carbohydrates, driving repeated waves of population growth over thousands of years, and the susceptibility of populations to large recessions due to a lag in the impact of humans on resources. These results shed light on the long-term drivers of human population growth and decline.

A two-tensor model with order-three

We construct a two-tensor model with order-3 and present its W-representation. Moreover we derive the compact expressions of correlators from the W-representation and analyze the free energy in large N limit. In addition, we establish the correspondence between two colored Dyck walks in the Fredkin spin chain and tree operators in the ring. Based on the classification Dyck walks, we give the number of tree operators with the given level. Furthermore, we show the entanglement scaling of Fredkin spin chain beyond logarithmic scaling in the ordinary critical systems from the viewpoint of tensor model.

Glyphosate exposure, muscular health and functional limitations in middle-aged and older adults

BackgroundGlyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide, both in domestic and industrial settings. Experimental research in animal models has demonstrated changes in muscle physiology and reduced contractile strength associated with glyphosate exposure, while epidemiological studies have shown associations between glyphosate exposure and adverse health outcomes in critical biological systems affecting muscle function. MethodsThis study used data from a nationally representative survey of the non-institutionalized U.S. general population (NHANES, n = 2132). Urine glyphosate concentrations were determined by ion chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Hand grip strength (HGS) was measured using a Takei Dynamometer, and relative strength estimated as the ratio between HGS in the dominant hand and the appendicular lean mass (ALM) to body mass index (ALMBMI) ratio. Low HGS and low relative HGS were defined as 1 sex-, age- and race-specific SD below the mean. Physical function limitations were identified as significant difficulty or incapacity in various activities. ResultsIn fully-adjusted models, the Mean Differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] per doubling increase in glyphosate concentrations were −0.55 [-1.09, −0.01] kg for HGS in the dominant hand, and −0.90 [-1.58. −0.21] kg for HGS/ALMBMI. The Odds Ratios (OR) [95% CI] for low HGS, low relative HGS and functional limitations by glyphosate concentrations were 1.27 [1.03, 1.57] for low HGS; 1.43 [1.05; 1.94] for low relative HGS; 1.33 [1.08, 1.63] for stooping, crouching or kneeling difficulty; 1.17 [0.91, 1.50] for lifting or carrying items weighting up to 10 pounds difficulty; 1.21 [1.01, 1.40] for standing up from armless chair difficulty; and 1.47 [1.05, 2.29] for ascending ten steps without pause difficulty. ConclusionsGlyphosate exposure may be a risk factor for decreased grip strength and increased physical functional limitations. More studies investigating the influence of this and other environmental pollutants on functional aging are needed.

Enhancing urban system resilience to earthquake disasters: Impact of interdependence and resource allocation

During the post-disaster recovery process of the urban system (US), it is critical to understand the interdependencies of critical infrastructure systems (CISs) and strategically allocate resources among them. However, due to the complexity of the problem and the limitations of the perspective, the existing research usually ignores the implicit impact of interdependence and resource allocation on urban resilience. To bridge this gap, this study establishes a multilayer network-based methodological framework to characterize various types of interdependencies between different CISs and integrate the US as a complex “system of systems”. Then, the system functionality of the US under different resource allocation strategies is quantified and optimized by resilience metrics. This proposed framework was demonstrated in a virtual US including a transportation subsystem (TS), an electric power supply subsystem (EPSS), and a community subsystem (CS) under catastrophic earthquakes. The sensitivity of urban resilience to interdependencies is investigated, and the corresponding results reveal that urban resilience is most sensitive to the interdependence between TS and EPSS. In particular, when there exists strong interdependence between the TS and EPSS, the optimal resource allocation strategy to maximize urban resilience is assigning resource allocation coefficients of 0.1, 0.8, and 0.1 for the TS, EPSS, and CS, respectively. These results can be effectively applied in future planning and investment in urban resilience.

Analysis of modern intelligent methods for protecting critical information infrastructure

Critical information infrastructure (CII), including the financial sector, plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable functioning of economic systems and the financial stability of States. However, the growing digitalization of the financial industry and the introduction of innovative technologies are opening up new attack vectors for attackers. Modern cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and traditional defenses are proving ineffective against new, previously unknown threats. There is an urgent need for more flexible and intelligent cybersecurity systems. Thus, the subject of the study is modern intelligent methods and technologies for protecting critical information infrastructure (CII) from cyber attacks. The object of the research is methods and means of ensuring the protection of critical information infrastructure using artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The methodological basis of this study is a comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature on the use of intelligent methods and technologies to protect critical information infrastructure. During the review and critical analysis of relevant scientific publications, key problems and unresolved tasks requiring further scientific research and practical developments in this subject area were identified. This methodological approach allowed us to form a holistic view of the current state and prospects for the development of intelligent cybersecurity tools for critical financial systems, as well as to identify priority areas for further research. The main directions of scientific novelty of this research are: 1. A detailed review of promising approaches based on artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to ensure effective protection of CII organizations from modern complex cyber attacks. 2. Identification and analysis of a number of key scientific and technical problems that need to be solved to increase reliability, interpretability and trust in intelligent cybersecurity systems, including issues of robustness to attacks, active online learning, federated and differential private data processing. 3. Identification of promising areas for further research and development in the field of application of specialized methods of secure and trusted AI to protect critical financial infrastructure. Thus, this research makes a significant contribution to the development of scientific and methodological apparatus and practical solutions for the use of intelligent methods to ensure cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Healthcare: A Threat to Patient Security

Healthcare information systems hold significant importance; hence, their cybersecurity is crucial. Exposed networks make it easy for cybercriminals to launch cyberattacks and access healthcare data. Thus, concerns regarding cybersecurity and its link to healthcare privacy, confidential data, and medical devices are growing. Therefore, cybersecurity vulnerabilities in healthcare and patient security are significant issues. Healthcare information systems comprise correlated networks and play a vital role in treating and saving patients. However, advanced circulated ransomware attacks on hospitals prevent access to electronic health records for providing appropriate patient care, thus forcing doctors to turn to other facilities. These cyberattacks can leak patient data, and regaining control of information systems and patient data is highly expensive, thus resulting in extensive monetary losses. Cyberattacks aimed toward electronic medical records, information technology systems, and medical devices have corrupted the best systems across clinics and small offices with physicians, as well as merged health systems. There is an urgency to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities in healthcare; however, opinions differ regarding suitable measures for safeguarding patient data and ensuring infrastructural security. We aimed to reconcile these diverging hypotheses and provide an understanding of the current landscape and directions for further improvements by reviewing several studies on healthcare cybersecurity. We also interviewed healthcare professionals, cybersecurity experts, and administrators and distributed a survey questionnaire to healthcare organizations to gather quantitative data on existing cybersecurity measures and vulnerabilities. Our analyses show that healthcare organizations are vulnerable to a variety of threats, cyberattacks disrupt the health sector, cybersecurity vulnerabilities impact patient security, and implementations of cybersecurity measures are inconsistent across organizations. Owing to the sophisticated nature of cyberattacks, the healthcare industry must prioritize cybersecurity and provide the funding required to develop critical systems for safeguarding patients and their data. The study's findings underscore the need for standardized cybersecurity practices in healthcare to address inconsistencies in measures across organizations. Adequate and ongoing investment in cybersecurity infrastructure is imperative to counter increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Additionally, protecting patient data and maintaining trust within the healthcare sector are ethical imperatives that should guide industry actions. By embracing these implications, the healthcare industry can enhance patient security, financial stability, and ethical integrity.

Bridging the Gap. Policies to Accelerate Social Change for an Inclusive Rural Digital Transformation in Sweden

Abstract This study explores officials’ perspectives on Swedish policies for rural digital transformation (RDT). Through the lens of Social Acceleration and systems thinking, employing Critical Systems Heuristics collecting empirical data, we explore how officials perceive that Swedish digitalisation policies impacts inclusive RDT. We investigate whether the possibility to implement Swedish digitalisation policies support or hinder inclusive RDT. Our results emphasize the importance of Social Acceleration based on the aspirations of rural residents, encompassing technical acceleration, social change, and the pace of life. The rapid societal acceleration driven by digitalisation impacts the implementation of digital services in rural areas. Policies do not address the needs of tailored digital services; officials strive to manage this through creative methods despite inherent challenges.

The Underutilization of Mental Health Care Services in the Lives of People with Blindness or Visual Impairment: A Literature Review on Rehabilitation Factors Toward Provision.

Roughly 3 million adult Americans have a visual impairment or blindness, and over 4 million adults aged 40 and older. Despite data demonstrating an elevated prevalence of mental health symptoms in people with BVI, this population remains largely untreated. Given that people with BVI often interface with multiple systems of rehabilitative care that are designed to improve quality of life, the relatively low rates of initiation of mental health care services are particularly alarming. In this review, the systematic processes of mental health care services across pertinent rehabilitation groups are identified and critically examined. A comprehensive literature review was conducted. The literature review utilized a critical systems typology, whereby relevant literature was selected, reviewed, and analyzed intra and extra organizationally. In addition, a thorough discussion of disability-related factors was provided, lending a socio-political lens to the problem. Considerable data indicates that short-term mental health care services for people with BVI are ineffective treatment methods, albeit primarily employed in health-rehabilitative processes. Multiple studies offered data indicating the presence of diverse and entangled mental health issues relative to vocational rehabilitation services, mobility tool utility, and emotional reactions to vision loss. Many studies suggested that disability identity work be integrated into health-rehabilitative processes for people with BVI. To improve the utility of mental health care services for people with BVI, a reenergization of the mental health care needs of this population must occur. A critical podcast or forum focused on educating listeners about the health-rehabilitation factors that influence the provision of mental health care services can aid to improve future mental health policy and practice for people with BVI. Disability scholars need to advance research on integrating critical theories in work with people with BVI and accelerate qualitative, community-based methods to enhance understanding of this population and their unique mental health needs.

Vibration Test campaign performed on a Landing Gear System

The landing gear system is one of the most critical systems of the aircraft. The need to design a landing gear with high performance, longer life and with a significant reduction in terms of weight, production and maintenance costs represents a real challenge for a sustainable future that Europe is heralding.This paper presents the results of the experimental campaign of vibration tests performed on the main and side landing gear system, in both extended and retracted configurations, to be installed on the AIRBUS Group/Helicopter RACER compound helicopter demonstrator and it is part of the Project ANGELA within the European Research Program Clean Sky 2 Fast-Rotorcraft.Furthermore, in this paper will be described the tailoring of the standard. The hybrid nature of the RACER, not envisaged in any of the categories of the standard, required a tailoring phase to test the landing gear systems in a conservative condition. Thus, it will be shown how this phase led to defining a test sequence, a test setup and the vibration loads. The test campaign, conducted with RTCA DO 160-G tailoring, is part of a wider experimental activity aimed at the development, production and qualification of processes and materials that will allow the landing gear system to achieve the “Permit to Flight”.

Analyze and Forecast the Cyber Attack Detection

Abstract: The relentless evolution of digital technologies has ushered in an era of unprecedented connectivity and convenience, but it has also exposed our digital infrastructure to a growing spectrum of cyber threats. In this context, the importance of robust cyber attack detection mechanisms cannot be overstated.The increasing complexity and sophistication of cyber threats necessitate equally advanced detection techniques. Cyber attack detection plays a pivotal role in safeguarding digital assets and maintaining the integrity of critical systems. This abstract delves into the foundational principles and contemporary strategies employed in this domain. Detecting cyber attacks presents a multifaceted challenge due to the ever-evolving tactics employed by malicious actors.

A scoping review of In-the-loop paradigms in the energy sector focusing on software-in-the-loop

AbstractSoftware-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing is an approach used for verification and validation in the energy sector. However, there is no comprehensive overview of the application, potential, and challenges of SIL within this sector. Therefore, this paper conducts a thorough scoping review of the existing literature within the scope of SIL and related in-the-loop approaches in the energy sector. A total of 88 full-text articles from four significant databases ACM, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Web of Science are analyzed and categorized to map the purpose, methods, architecture, interoperability and protocols, technologies, challenges, and limitations. The results present a grand perspective of in-the-loop across several domains followed by an analysis of SIL in the energy sector. The application domains carry characteristics from complex systems, systems-of-systems, cyber-physical systems, critical systems, real-time systems, and sociotechnical systems. The energy sector and the automotive industry are amongst the most applied domains. Within energy- and electricity systems, hardware-based in-the-loop paradigms are mostly applied for testing low-level signaling, and SIL is used for control strategy testing, optimization, dispatching, and experimentation. The examined SIL architectures have distributed-, real-time, and closed-loop properties, and are constrained by specialized simulation power hardware. Future research should address how to systematically develop SIL testing environments with guiding principles to support application development for the future digitalized energy system.

Prognostics Aware Control Design for Extended Remaining Useful Life

As most of the safety critical industrial systems remain sensitive to functional degradation and operate under closed loop, it becomes imperative to take into account the state of health within the control design process. To that end, an effective assessment and extension of the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of complex systems is a standing challenge that seeks novel solutions at the cross-over of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) domain as well as automatic control. This paper considers a dynamical system subjected to functional degradation presents a novel control design strategy. Wherein the assessment of state of health of the system is taken into account leading to effective prediction of the RUL as well as its extension. To that end, the degradation model is considered unknown but input-dependent. The control design is formulated as an optimization problem wherein a suitable comprise is reached between the performance and desired RUL of the system. The main contribution of the paper remains in proposal of set-point modulation based approach wherein the control input at a given present time stage is modulated in such way that futuristic health of the system over a long time horizon is extended whilst assuring acceptable performance. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is assessed in simulation using a numerical example as well as liquid propellant rocket engine case.

Threats, Attacks, and Cryptography Frameworks of Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructures

Critical Infrastructures (CIs), such as healthcare facilities, power grids, transportation systems, and financial institutions, are vital components of a functioning society, with the economy and safety being dependent on them. Nevertheless, they have become increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats and attacks in recent years. The main reason is their inability to quickly adapt to technological changes, employ updated cryptographic frameworks, and implement a thoroughly secure architecture based on their characteristics. In this study, the unique complexities of these systems are highlighted. Various verified cyberattacks that were executed against CIs in recent years are analyzed. Moreover, the general framework of CIs is demonstrated together with the employed technologies and cryptographic primitives. A thorough architecture of said technologies is developed to better understand the targeted components and easily identify potentially hidden threats. Afterwards, threat, adversary, and attack models that target critical systems and services are designed. The purpose is a better comprehension of the systems’ vulnerabilities, attack structures, motives, and targets for assisting CIs’ designers in creating secure frameworks and mechanisms, with the ability to mitigate such threats. Lastly, security controls and cryptography frameworks are demonstrated together with efficient mitigation architectures and implementations from the research community.

Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems

To stimulate the development and application of formal methods in industry, we need to promote research and development for the improvement of formal methods and tools for industrial applications, and we need to exchange experiences of the industrial usage of these methods and tools. This special issue of Software Tools for Technology Transfer presents various tools and experience reports that are targeting the use of formal methods in industry. The papers in this special issue are extended versions of selected conference papers from the proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems (FMICS 2022).

Securing military computing with the blockchain

In an era defined by technological advancements and digital interconnectivity, securing military computing infrastructure is of paramount importance. The integration of blockchain technology has emerged as a potential solution to mitigate evolving cyberthreats, offering a decentralised and tamper-resistant framework. This article provides a comprehensive examination of blockchain’s capabilities, challenges and implications for defence strategies. Through a synthesis of relevant literature and case studies, it elucidates blockchain’s key principles, potential advantages in military settings, and its impact on data security and accountability. As militaries worldwide seek to protect sensitive information and critical systems, the integration of blockchain offers a promising avenue for bolstering security, contributing to the development of more robust defence systems in the digital age.

Digital processing and BLMASIC control prototype for the Beam Loss Monitor system in the SPS at CERN

The Beam Loss Monitoring system plays a crucial role in the CERN's Super Proton Synchrotron beam monitoring and machine protection. With the upcoming renovation of the system, the acquisition electronics can be based on an innovative ASIC designed by CERN. This paper presents the development of the control and digital processing electronics for this BLMASIC, reviews the architecture and design choices, discusses implementation details, including the controls and redundancy schemes, and highlights some preliminary results. The conclusion outlines the future development steps, and emphasises the interest of this simple and robust architecture using LpGBT and VTRx for critical systems.

Artificial intelligence in cybersecurity: Protecting national infrastructure: A USA review

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in the field of cybersecurity, playing a pivotal role in safeguarding national infrastructure. This review focuses on the application of AI technologies within the context of the United States, examining their efficacy in fortifying critical systems against evolving cyber threats. The paper delves into various AI-driven cybersecurity strategies, ranging from anomaly detection and predictive analysis to threat intelligence and automated response mechanisms. The integration of AI in cybersecurity not only enhances the speed and accuracy of threat detection but also addresses the dynamic nature of cyber threats. The specific AI technologies employed in the United States, including machine learning, natural language processing, and neural networks, highlighting their contributions to bolstering the resilience of national infrastructure are also examined. Furthermore, the challenges and ethical considerations associated with the widespread adoption of AI in cybersecurity are assessed. It discusses the need for robust regulatory frameworks to govern the deployment of AI in sensitive domains and emphasizes the importance of collaboration between government agencies, private enterprises, and research institutions to foster innovation and address emerging threats. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of AI in cybersecurity within the United States, emphasizing its significance in protecting critical national infrastructure. By exploring technological advancements, challenges, and ethical considerations, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on leveraging AI to safeguard against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.