Cyber Asset Research Articles

Mission Impact Analysis by Measuring the Effect on Physical Combat Operations Associated With Cyber Asset Damage

Mission Impact Analysis by Measuring the Effect on Physical Combat Operations Associated With Cyber Asset Damage

An overview of current issues and practice relating to local government cyber security in England and Wales

This paper explores some of the current issues around cyber security and resilience relating to local government in England and Wales, covering the period of the current National Cyber Security Programme from 2015 to 2020. The paper outlines the structure of cyber security and resilience and explains the linkages at a regional and devolved administration level in the case of Wales and UK national level. The paper introduces the concept of a cyber asset taxonomy to quantify cyber artefacts, to aid the early warning of organisations with particular type of equipment, systems and services. There is also discussion around a volunteer-led CyberShare Node/Fusion Cell structure to aid incident response in a cost-effective way. Finally, there is a description of current research which will result in future papers.

Influence of Big Data in managing cyber assets

PurposeToday, Big Data plays an imperative role in the creation, maintenance and loss of cyber assets of organisations. Research in connection to Big Data and cyber asset management is embryonic. Using evidence, the purpose of this paper is to argue that asset management in the context of Big Data is punctuated by a variety of vulnerabilities that can only be estimated when characteristics of such assets like being intangible are adequately accounted for.Design/methodology/approachEvidence for the study has been drawn from interviews of leaders of digital transformation projects in three organisations that are within the insurance industry, natural gas and oil, and manufacturing industries.FindingsBy examining the extant literature, the authors traced the type of influence that Big Data has over asset management within organisations. In a context defined by variability and volume of data, it is unlikely that the authors will be going back to restricting data flows. The focus now for asset managing organisations would be to improve semantic processors to deal with the vast array of data in variable formats.Research limitations/implicationsData used as evidence for the study are based on interviews, as well as desk research. The use of real-time data along with the use of quantitative analysis could lead to insights that have hitherto eluded the research community.Originality/valueThere is a serious dearth of the research in the context of innovative leadership in dealing with a threatened asset management space. Interpreting creative initiatives to deal with a variety of risks to data assets has clear value for a variety of audiences.

CyPhyR: a cyber‐physical analysis tool for measuring and enabling resiliency in microgrids

This study presents a tool to study the cyber-physical resiliency (CyPhyR) of critical energy infrastructure system, in particular the effect of cyber attacks on the microgrid's resiliency. The developed tool enables measuring resiliency using data from cyber and physical systems and suggests control decisions for resilient planning and operation of the microgrid. The microgrid resiliency is formulated based on graph theory based indices and cyber-power system characteristics. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System based metric called the Cyber Asset Impact Potential is developed and used in the planning phase, and another metric, Cyber Impact Severity is introduced to study the system performance in the operational phase. The information from these two phases is provided to the operator to make informed and proactive decisions to ensure the resilient operation of the microgrid. The performance of the developed tool has been tested using comprehensive real-time cyber-power testbed for a Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions microgrid test system.

Creative Leadership Within the Cyber asset Market: An Interview With Dame Inga Beale

This interview with Dame Inga Beale, one of the most distinguished corporate leaders in the United Kingdom, explores her ideas around creative leadership of Lloyd’s of London in the cyber asset market. Uniqueness of Beale’s approach stems from the deep-seated social purpose of insurance to support development of trust in a complex asset management cyberspace. Beale’s collaborative approach to dealing with risk in a digitally connected asset market is exclusive in its ethos. At a time when digital assets are threatened by cyberattacks and losses that are many times in magnitude in comparison with those of natural calamities, Beale’s innovative leadership is likely to fit in with a boundary-less online context. Beale’s enunciation of leadership aspirations for Lloyd’s has striking similarities with recent research on digital transformation of organizations and provides a practical articulation of collaborative trust building within the insurance market and beyond.

Cyber asset in judicial discourses: a socio-semiotic interpretation

ABSTRACTIssues concerning cyber asset in cyberspace have intrigued the legislators, the judicial practitioners, the netizens, and even the onlookers in real world; simultaneously, academia is discussing the disputes aroused by this intangible object. However, various studies in the past refined the discussions in domains of law but the refinement fails to clarify the cyber-asset issues and to resolve the disputes. Therefore, a better understanding of what “cyber asset” is can be achieved by exploring cyber asset in the judicial discourses from a socio-semiotic perspective. In this study, judicial discourses are tantamount to the semiotic resource. Then, incorporating in a generic model of judicial discourses, we examine (1) how cyber asset as a sign has been framed by agents of the judicial institution of the People’s Republic of China; (2) how the judicial institution justified their framing; and (3) whether any temporal change in the semiotic system of cyber asset took place. Furthermore, by applying the five questions introduced by Van Leeuwen, we examine why the quandaries of cyber asset are aroused. In conclusion, we propose that the cyber-asset disputes can hardly be resolved unless joint efforts are made by the legislature and the judiciary of the People’s Republic of China.

Evaluating Cyber Infrastructure for Cyber-Insurance in the Corporate World: An Analytical Focus.

In this world of 'big data', having the right data available at the right time is crucial; and it is an imperative that has moved far beyond the remit of IT alone. The dreamt IT3G (Information Technology Generated Global Governance ) village is facing some of the challenge in the IT enabled corporate e-market (ITeC), realise it for future long term existence with dynamic resistant technology, though it is changing to surpass civilisation from one millennium to another. Is it bane or boon? That is too difficult to predict on this short span of subject and technological form of life in the market as well as environment of business in the world. The world production, investment, capital formation and operation of business through this new technology, salvage itself from the new ghost of cyber crime. Organisations recognise their data as the asset for the future business and operation factor. This accounting and evaluating process is a top – down process, once it is take up into a working principle and culture then business will be somehow riskless for this ITeC. The risk factors are involved with this spawning cyberinsurance itself with some new business cost, huge to both business organisations with data and cyber related matter on this current business scenario. This empirical study is based on the new frame and principle for valuating the cyber asset of the corporate organisation, as a good solution to future insurance disbursement and claim settlement.

Changing Cyber Infrastructural Insurance for Dynamic Data Bank: An Analytical Focus

Information Technology is a revolution for the 21st century. Different dynamism may be meritorious or crime. In this world of 'big data', having the right data available at the right time is crucial; and it is an imperative that has moved far beyond the remit of IT alone. The dreamt IT3G (Information Technology Generated Global Governance ) village is facing some of the challenge in the IT enabled corporate e-market (ITeC), realise it for future long term existence with dynamic resistant technology, though it is changing to surpass civilisation from one millennium to another. Is it bane or boon? That is too difficult to predict on this short span of subject and technological form of life in the market as well as environment of business in the world. The world production, investment, capital formation and operation of business through this new technology, salvage itself from the new ghost of cyber crime. Organisations recognise their data as the asset for the future business and operation factor. This accounting and evaluating process is a top–down process, once it is take up into a working principle and culture then business will be somehow riskless for this ITeC. The risk factors are involved with this spawning cyberinsurance itself with some new business cost, huge to both business organisations with data and cyber related matter on this current business scenario. This empirical study is based on the new frame and principle for evaluating the cyber asset of the corporate organisation, as a good solution to future insurance disbursement and claim settlement.

Environmental Review & Case Study: NERC's Cybersecurity Standards for the Electric Grid: Fulfilling Its Reliability Day Job and Moonlighting as a Cybersecurity Model

The electric industry is experiencing notable changes with the implementation of communication and automation technology, many of which are part of the smart grid movement. Similar to other critical infrastructure industries such as banking, transportation, and the cross-sector critical information infrastructure industry, the electric industry must protect itself from intentional and unintentional security breaches and incidents to ensure uninterrupted operations of essential services. Of the critical infrastructure industries, the electric industry is the only private-sector industry subject to government-enforced mandatory cybersecurity standards. This article presents an overview of the eight mandatory cybersecurity standards by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. As an example of how standards are evolving, it discusses CIP-002 (Critical Cyber Asset Identification) in depth because it establishes whether the remaining seven standards apply. This article then compares the North American Electric Reliability Corporation regulatory framework against critical information infrastructure goals. The comparison finds that, at least on a basic level, the electric industry's mandatory cybersecurity standards meet the critical information infrastructure goals and work to secure information networks, resources, and systems from cyber and physical threats. The mandatory cybersecurity standards promote an increase in technological products, better security management, personnel and public education, and trust in the industry. Even though the electric industry's mandatory standards are imperfect, the fact it satisfies the goals of the cross-sector critical information infrastructure indicates that the framework is sound. The electric industry's experience with mandatory cybersecurity standards is a valuable source of information, and the regulatory framework itself can be a helpful model for other industries looking to develop their own security protection systems.Environmental Practice 13:250–264 (2011)