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This article will explore the intersections between economics and finance that underpin the strengthening of critical infrastructure systems. Exploring this area, I can realise that improving critical infrastructures is a necessity that every country depends on. Given the technological advances and threats that are constantly developing, we will be able to conclude that the need to understand the importance of these infrastructures and how to develop them depends on the economic implications that are part of a country's investment plan. Through a comprehensive review of case studies and economic theories, this article will highlight various factors that influence critical infrastructure development decisions, ranging from fiscal and budgetary constraints to development or upgrading decisions. In addition, this paper will analyse, from a theoretical point of view, the importance of public-private partnerships, government funding and risk management strategies that underpin the resilience and sustainability of critical infrastructure. Finally, this paper will provide a nuanced perspective on economic and financial management, the growth of critical systems that are vital to the optimal and effective functioning of national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical infrastructures, such as power and water networks, are vital for society and the economy. However, they are vulnerable to various disruptions such as component failures, cyber-attacks, and natural disasters. These disruptions can cascade across critical infrastructure networks (CINs), causing significant socioeconomic losses. Decision-makers face the challenge of protecting CINs before disruptions and restoring their functions afterward, considering interdependencies and uncertainties. Current methods struggle to model big data, complex interactions, and multilayer dependencies between CINs. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications can be used to overcome these challenges, as they can model complex systems and discover data patterns representing a promising research trend that could benefit both private companies and governments. This article undertakes a comprehensive review of the literature on the applications of machine learning in improving the resilience of interdependent critical infrastructure systems (ICISs). The aim is to address the existing knowledge gap and dispersed research articles in this area, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The primary goal of this article is to assess the current state of ML applications in the ICISs resilience engineering field by examining the available literature, in order to discover future opportunities and trends. The findings are summarized, and potential future trends and opportunities are listed, aiming to inspire resilience engineering practitioners to explore these future directions in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical infrastructures, such as power and water networks, are vital for society and the economy. However, they are vulnerable to various disruptions such as component failures, cyber-attacks, and natural disasters. These disruptions can cascade across critical infrastructure networks (CINs), causing significant socioeconomic losses. Decision-makers face the challenge of protecting CINs before disruptions and restoring their functions afterward, considering interdependencies and uncertainties. Current methods struggle to model big data, complex interactions, and multilayer dependencies between CINs. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications can be used to overcome these challenges, as they can model complex systems and discover data patterns representing a promising research trend that could benefit both private companies and governments. This article undertakes a comprehensive review of the literature on the applications of machine learning in improving the resilience of interdependent critical infrastructure systems (ICISs). The aim is to address the existing knowledge gap and dispersed research articles in this area, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The primary goal of this article is to assess the current state of ML applications in the ICISs resilience engineering field by examining the available literature, in order to discover future opportunities and trends. The findings are summarized, and potential future trends and opportunities are listed, aiming to inspire resilience engineering practitioners to explore these future directions in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical infrastructures, such as power and water networks, are vital for society and the economy. However, they are vulnerable to various disruptions such as component failures, cyber-attacks, and natural disasters. These disruptions can cascade across critical infrastructure networks (CINs), causing significant socioeconomic losses. Decision-makers face the challenge of protecting CINs before disruptions and restoring their functions afterward, considering interdependencies and uncertainties. Current methods struggle to model big data, complex interactions, and multilayer dependencies between CINs. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications can be used to overcome these challenges, as they can model complex systems and discover data patterns representing a promising research trend that could benefit both private companies and governments. This article undertakes a comprehensive review of the literature on the applications of machine learning in improving the resilience of interdependent critical infrastructure systems (ICISs). The aim is to address the existing knowledge gap and dispersed research articles in this area, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The primary goal of this article is to assess the current state of ML applications in the ICISs resilience engineering field by examining the available literature, in order to discover future opportunities and trends. The findings are summarized, and potential future trends and opportunities are listed, aiming to inspire resilience engineering practitioners to explore these future directions in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical Infrastructures (CI) are systems that are essential for maintaining vital societal functions, and their disruptions can have a significant negative impact on a nation's well-being. CI has become the focus of many digital advancements, resulting in them becoming increasingly intertwined. Therefore, a more holistic approach to infrastructure management must be adopted, in which CI typically organize themselves as a System of Systems (SoS). The main issue that CI organizations face is the unclarity of how to make their IT function as one system. IT-Governance (ITG) is critical to guide the implementation of SoS within individual organizations. However, current literature acknowledges the lack of research on Inter-organizational IT-Governance (IoITG), which is necessary for creating a digital SoS. This researchin-progress paper first proposes a definition for digital SoS for CI and then highlights the need for further research on IoITG capability in the context of SoS for CI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scientific study aims to explore the potential for launching a cyber-attack through SEAP platform, particularly in light of the increasing use of ransomware as a tool to cause widespread damage to critical infrastructure. The study focuses on the methodology of a ransomware attack on a critical infrastructure, with a specific emphasis on the analysis of the infection process, persistence mechanism, encryption process, recovery prevention, and propagation mechanisms, as well as the communication with command and control servers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructures can be monitored by using complex IT architectures involving also the usage of UAVs. UAVs may operate by forming ad-hoc networks and may be integrated with advances sensors, like LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to build a digital model of the infrastructure. Starting from a previous experience of application of this approach to monitoring road infrastructures, in this paper, we analyze the security issues of such approaches, by identifying three categories of attacks, namely (1) attacks on routing, (2) attacks on measurements, and (3) UAV impersonation. For all these attacks, we identify a possible trust-based approach to mitigate the risk. This kind of approach allows us to improve the resilience of the system and can be combined with standard cybersecurity protection mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructures can be monitored by using complex IT architectures involving also the usage of UAVs. UAVs may operate by forming ad-hoc networks and may be integrated with advances sensors, like LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to build a digital model of the infrastructure. Starting from a previous experience of application of this approach to monitoring road infrastructures, in this paper, we analyze the security issues of such approaches, by identifying three categories of attacks, namely (1) attacks on routing, (2) attacks on measurements, and (3) UAV impersonation. For all these attacks, we identify a possible trust-based approach to mitigate the risk. This kind of approach allows us to improve the resilience of the system and can be combined with standard cybersecurity protection mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyze belligerent actions in cyberspace, particularly against critical infrastructures (CI) of a nation-state. Given the dual nature of CIs, this issue closely relates to the exercise of cyber capabilities and International Humanitarian Law. In the Section 2, we discuss key concepts as the thresholds for a cyber-attack to be considered an armed attack according to International Law. In Section 3, we address the most frequent targets for cyber conflicts based on historical analysis of over 1,300 documents. Among those, we identified eighty-seven (-6.5%) reports, grouped into seven campaigns between 2010 and 2019 that targeted CI with kinetic purposes or producing concrete effects. The low number of attacks demonstrates that cyber-attacks rarely scale up to this level. In the third section, we engage in a cross-comparison of the seven campaigns against CI attributed to state actors. Conversely, no nation-state officially claimed to have authored the actions. The comparison also demonstrated that attacks against CI are not frequent and require specialized knowledge to target industrial control systems. We conclude that as the number of countries with cyber offensive capabilities increases, we expect that attacks against CI also expand, and as a result, the risk of kinetic attack on CI becomes more likely. Thus, setting explicit cyber norms on the subject is a collective concern that countries share and should engage in a multilateral debate to address it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's society both people's everyday lives and organizations are surrounded by an increasingly digital world. The essential services in a society are provided through critical infrastructure. Their activity will in turn be increasingly dependent on digital technologies. ICT systems are designed and developed on the activity profile of the critical infrastructure sectors, such as the industrial, military, medical or financial sector. Therefore, the cyber security for critical infrastructure has become, as a multidimensional system, a strategic form of protection for a number of states and international organizations. Therefore, many states of the world, on the basis of certain criteria, have identified and designated their national critical infrastructures. Once they have been identified, there have been taken increased security measures, including in the area of cyber security. Cyber-attacks that target critical infrastructures also needs to be considered. Planned targets are analyzed to the smallest detail to find out the vulnerabilities of the attacks. Usually, the cyber-attackers target critical infrastructures in order to obtain the most valuable information and to affect the functionality of the services. In recent years, these types of attacks are characterized by complexity, persistence and advanced techniques, supported by key actors or state-sponsored actors. Cyber attackers are permanently looking to exploit any vulnerability, either it's technical, human or procedural. Therefore, considering these aspects, we can emphasize that establishing a strong security has long exceeded the exclusive assurance of a technical security. Thus, multidimensional is highlighted in several areas of interference based on a holistic approach to cyber security for critical infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of eighty six nations has published National Cyber Security Strategies (NCSS). The NCSSs present similarities in basic concepts, in the identification of cyber threats and in the delimitation of strategic objectives. The present article analyzes and compares the NCSSs in respect to the similarities shown within the scope of protection of critical infrastructures (CI). The convergence points identified in the article are: the protection of CIs as a strategic objective; the definition of what constitutes a CI; the services and facilities deemed CI; the existence of a national CI protection program; the need to congregate public and private stakeholders; and the need to build resilience into CI systems. The conclusion points out the countries that have shown through their NCSSs interest in international cooperation for the protection of CIs. This can be achieved by means of joint training, information exchange on threats and incidents against CIs, and in the medium term, the regulation of the use of cyber weapons against CIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes and progress of contemporary society, is one of the decisive factors regarding the way to address every single scientific field. In this context, the critical infrastructures protection, that became an international priority, brings to the fore the constant the need of adapting the education system and training of specialists in this field. On the other hand, the cultural heritage of the population living in the places that are affected by natural hazards such as: earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions or other natural calamities, and man-made disasters such as: fires, military conflicts, terrorist attacks and other industrial incidents compel the authorities to take the best measures to limit damages and casualties. Critical infrastructure protection is not an exclusive domain, its theoretical and practical background becoming a valuable resource for all security systems. For this, the critical infrastructure protection specialist is not just a system officer because he has the qualities of an analyst, planner, and decision maker. In order for these qualities to exist simultaneously, this implies designing management systems for education in accordance with the risks and vulnerabilities of contemporary society in order to create the possibility of materializing the negative events with a major impact. The challenge of this article is to draw attention of the decision makers on the need to transform the education systems designed to increase the level of population security culture and the role of the critical infrastructure protection specialist. In this regard, I point out that predicting the future of a society is very difficult and can be greatly improved by exploiting databases and using expertise in the field of critical infrastructure protection. Formalizing social security systems to achieve this objective involves the gradual transition from individual work to a new form of work, respectively the collaborative network. Based on these considerations, I anticipate the training of a critical infrastructure protection specialist in the context of new development of the national security systems/ defense systems against any threats or dangers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the proposed topic of the article had as working assumptions two tendencies with opposite directions from the point of view of the contribution to the sustainable development of the present society, namely, the exponential, quantitative and qualitative increase of the dimension of knowledge, as a process that favored in time the social transformation, respectively, the multiplication of the types of threats and the ways of their manifestation that ultimately affect the social balance. The activity segment chosen in this context for investigation is that of critical infrastructures (CI), a relatively recent field set from the point of view of knowledge management (KM) challenges and, at the same time, very sensitive to the desired state for the functionality of nowadays globalized society. The way of approaching the aspects specific to the stated topic is interdisciplinary, at the micro (operator and/or IC holder) but also macro (national and/or European IC system) level, the opportunities to identify possible solutions (4D structured - define, design, develop, deliver), being highlighted by the use of methodological tools of conceptual modeling, applied in the spectrum determined by the coordinates as is and are to be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term resilience often appears in contemporary literature to qualitatively describe systemic responses following disaster. A search in the literature did reveal the quantitative construct of resilience with respect to materials science. Additionally, review found the application of stress, based on material science constructs, to quantitatively represent resilience in generic system terms. However, literature review reflected an absence of quantitative measures of resilience specifically related to power systems. The maximum energy that can be absorbed per unit volume without creating permanent distortion is the Modulus of Resilience (Ur). The Modulus of Resilience is calculated by integrating the stress-strain curve from zero to the elastic limit. This paper proposes an isomorphic application of the Modulus of Resilience to quantitatively express resiliency of electric infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main features of corporate security is the protection of the interests of the company from all types and forms of endangerment. However, many of the corporations have a part of determining the objects that are of vital interest to the state, i.e. belonging to the category of critical infrastructures. There is the need for a different approach that is shaped according to changed security conditions. The field of competencies, based on the national interest, is changing and it is different from the standard measures i.e. ways of security, this is so the measures that are already in place should be focused on both, the corporate needs and the national security system. The constant terrorist attacks on the corporations of vital interest show that terrorism does not recognize state borders nor the political systems or areas on which it is directed to. The tragic past events directed at corporations are defined as critical infrastructures and represent a clear indicator to continuous improvement of security, extending the corporate security interest both, to the state and even to the global security interest. The increase development of the national security through corporations with a clearly defined security policy and co-operation is grounded over subjects that have a precise task in dealing with security challenges that arise from the complex sources of endangerment, and give a new impulse to the transformation of security awareness of both, the security and the other qualified staff. For those reasons, this paper has the purpose to raise the awareness into achieve a standardized level of security in all corporations that have the status of critical infrastructures with direct cooperation and coordination between the state security sector and the private security sector, which this key factor in the overall security system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical infrastructures usually include those assets and services which are essential for the country, and the disruption or destruction of which would have a significant impact on the national security, economy, vital social functions, health, protection as well as social wellbeing, as assessed by the criteria of the government of the state. Owners or operators of critical infrastructures are state bodies, companies, institutions and other organizations responsible for investing in or responsible for the operation of a particular infrastructure capacity, system or part thereof. Since many of assets and services are not of state property or organised by the state, governments usually regulate the protection of critical infrastructures by legislation, defining who and in to what extent is obliged to carry out measures for the protection of critical infrastructures. This is the opportunity for private security firms since rare institutions, companies and even state bodies are capable to organise security on their own. In the article, a comparative study of Macedonia and Slovenia regarding the protection of critical infrastructures with special emphasis on the role of private security is presented. The paper comprises comparative analysis of the legal documents and practices of critical infrastructure protection in both countries. Although the critical infrastructure protection in Macedonia is relatively new field of work within private security, a steady growth and development in the last decade can be observed, while Slovenian private security has played quite important role in critical infrastructure protection long before Slovenian government designated both, the European critical infrastructure located in Slovenia, as well as critical infrastructure of national importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As critical infrastructures have become strategic targets for advanced cyber-attacks, we face the severe challenge to provide new defense technologies for their protection. We propose a distributed supranational architecture for detection, classification, and mitigation of highly sophisticated cyber incidents targeted simultaneously at multiple critical infrastructures. We build upon a three layered architecture comprised of Security Operations Centres at organizational (O-SOC), national (N-SOC), and European (E-SOC) level using IDS and SIEM solutions. In our approach we combine machine learning and automatic ontological reasoning: First, we apply methods from the field of machine learning to analyse threat indicators of different granularity. This provides classification of very specific observables collected at compromised sites. Second, we perform ontological analysis to identify large scale correlations within an incident knowledge graph. This yields insight into ongoing attack campaigns, especially regarding extent and expected impact. Our approach further allows to identify targets that are likely also to be affected or already compromised. Our proposed architecture counters advanced threats targeted against the critical infrastructures of Europe. We currently develop a prototype of our approach within the framework of European Union FP7 project ECOSSIAN (607577). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to talk about performance management, one shall apply business continuity concepts that imply to forecast, understand, document, measure and transform a complex situation at a specific time in a highly depended environment. Business continuity within critical infrastructures (CI) sectors represent the core of a comfortable life in terms of vital societal functions, health, safety, security, economic or social well-being of people (as stated Directive 114/2008). For a long period of time, critical infrastructure sector were assessed as an isolated system with no exchanges with the macro system / environment. Nowadays, when the "systems of system" paradigm is more and more applied, the interdependencies become a major topic of discussion. Interdependencies represent the bi-directional relationship between the sectors under evaluation; the activity disruption within one sector is followed by the disruptions within the interdependent sectors. The authors consider very useful such demarche as identifying the CIs sectors interdependencies that might occur when dealing with e-Learning platforms. Furthermore, once identified, the authors analysed the impact of service disruption within one CI sector over the others CIs performance. The method used during the primary research was the survey and the tool - the structured-interviews. The second step was to add expert elicitation in order to surpass the challenges emphasized by the analysis. One of the input data for the present paper was a previous research made by the authors that highlighted that the research made at national level should be analysed in terms of critical infrastructures. The originality of the present paper consists in identifying the interoperability of sectors that weren't taken into consideration before, as for example research, while most interdependencies' studies are focused on IT&C and energy or water and energy interdependencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical infrastructure protection has become a topic of increasing interest in military and civilian socio-professional communities and, in particular, NATO and EU, taking in consideration that the threats addressing to security are increasingly complex. In this context, scientific research and education are important actors in the design of advanced integrated solutions for solving the subsumed problems. Besides, in the Horizon Framework Programme 2020' content are set as areas of interest the "smart grid" critical infrastructure protection type and resilience to the "smart meters" threats type. This is the general framework related to this proposed article, with the intention that its approach to become subject for a scientific research project in future competitions, necessity supported by the fact that Land Forces Academy is the only higher education institution organizing a postgraduate course in the field, and designed in accordance with existing national occupational standards. Specifically, the paper presents a possible way ahead to be implemented for increasing the functionality of a simulation laboratory for managerial decision on critical infrastructure protection field which helps to assess key points and risks of different infrastructure systems. Primary, we appreciate the need for modeling of interactions that occur between different critical infrastructures. There are highlighted existing software in the field and it is explained the utility of the best of them to be used in relation to the objectives of taken approach. Simulated enterprise represents the same idea that produces beneficial effects in polytechnic education. Similarly, it will be replicated the structures and decision-making areas corresponding to ten types of infrastructure sectors regulated at national level and a crisis management center, aiming to ensure technical, systemic and operational interoperability for scenarios that create cascading effects. Such as, it can be provided modern opportunities for procedures performing, for analysis and for designing the appropriate solutions based on tools and techniques of advanced knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical infrastructure refers to processes, systems, facilities, technologies, networks, assets and services essential to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of a modern society and the effective functioning of their government. Disruptions of critical infrastructure could result in catastrophic loss of life, adverse economic effects and significant harm to public confidence. The cyber-attacks on the SCADA systems of the Iranian nuclear facilities as well as those targeting the telecommunication and power grid infrastructures of Estonia and Georgia show how cyber-attacks against critical infrastructures are becoming increasingly prevalent and disruptive. In the next future, cyber-attacks are expected to increase in scale, to become more accurate and therefore to become real cyber weapons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of resources is of great interest for large energy consumers what makes this century geopolitics to be dominated by diversification of their access. Energy resources have permanently influenced the development of their national economies and the global economy. There is no doubt that the influence of energy manifested on national security of states, regional and global security. The role of state institutions in the field of defense, public order and national security in the management of Romania's energy security is a particularly important to ensure regional security environment. This paper's aim is to make an analysis of the current situation of Romania's energy capabilities, the possibility of diversifying our resources and especially the completion and enhancement of energy autonomy in the European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an interlocked world, the protection of critical infrastructures is part of the joint effort to ensure security. As a responsible actor on the international stage, Romania is well aware that protecting national vital infrastructures is necessary for consolidating national and regional security. The present paper wishes to analyze the existing legislative and institutional framework for ensuring the security of national infrastructures in Romania, as well as to discuss potential opportunities for future development. The paper tries to offer a definition of national critical infrastructure that is in accordance with the European interpretation of the term. Subsequently, the perspectives of future legislative initiative concerning the protection of national critical infrastructures proposed will have to comply with European developments in this domain, as a strategic approach on the national level cannot be conceived without an outlook on the existing European legislative and institutional framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the fragility induced by multiple interdependencies is one of the major challenges in the design of resilient infrastructures. These rippled failures greatly increase their vulnerability to disruptions along with delays in their restoration efforts. Networks feature a bidirectional dependence such that power stations depend on communication nodes for control, and communication nodes depend on power stations for their electricity supply. This research investigates the effects of disruptions on the interdependent infrastructures of electric power and telecommunications networks and performs an empirically based analysis to understand their interdependence and its effects in restoration efforts. The aftermath of extreme events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and pandemic outbreaks provide a unique opportunity to obtain experimental evidence that the critical infrastructures are indeed interdependent. Empirical analysis including Granger causality tests are performed to assess interdependency between the networks following the event. After interdependency and its duration are properly assessed, a system dynamics model is proposed to provide insights on how to reduce restoration times by appropriate selection of model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Security of critical infrastructures is presently a major aspect. One of the main threats is their growing interdependency, where a failure in one infrastructure may cascade on others. In order to improve the overall security encompassing power and ICT as well as pertinent regulation issues, it is needed to better understand the interactions and interdependencies of these heterogeneous infrastructures. Different tools are then needed: software tools able to simulate the dynamic of interdependent infrastructures and benchmarks with coupled-components. Therefore, two combined simulators (coupling dedicated software tools) of power system, communication and information models are presented in this panel paper. The first aims at identifying the vulnerabilities resulting from the interdependencies among the Transmission power grid and the Information and Communication system. The second is dedicated to Distribution Networks and Smart Grids. Finally, a platform for experimentation is presented. It is a reduced scale Smart Grid test bed for validation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Addressing the insider threat is a major issue in cyber and corporate security in order to enhance trusted computing in critical infrastructures. In this paper we study the psychosocial perspective and the implications of insider threat prediction via social media, Open Source Intelligence and user generated content classification. Inductively, we propose a prediction method by evaluating the predisposition towards law enforcement and authorities, a personal psychosocial trait closely connected to the manifestation of malevolent insiders. We propose a methodology to detect users holding negative attitude towards authorities. For doing so, we facilitate a brief analysis of the medium (YouTube), machine learning techniques and a dictionary-based approach, in order to detect comments expressing negative attitude. Thus, we can draw conclusions over a user behavior and beliefs via the content the user generated within the limits a social medium. We also use an assumption free flat data representation technique in order to decide over the user's attitude and improve the scalability of our method. Furthermore, we compare the results of each method and highlight the common behavior and characteristics manifested by the users. As privacy violations may well-rise when using such methods, their use should be restricted only on exceptional cases, e.g. when appointing security officers or decision-making staff in critical infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Critical infrastructures especially electric power systems play a key role in sustainable development of modern societies; therefore, power systems security has attracted significant attention in recent years. Concerns about malicious attacks on electric power grids, e.g. terrorist attacks, have manifested the necessity of passive defense implementation to reduce the likelihood of successful attacks and to minimize the damages and negative consequences. To optimally allocate passive defense resources, familiarity with issues related to power system security aspects, vulnerabilities, interaction with other infrastructures, crisis management stages and time scale, beneficial and adverse technologies, and hardening optimization methodologies is needed. This paper provides an extensive overview of passive defense essentials in electric power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Heterogeneous mobile wireless sensor networks can have mobile nodes with different speed and mobility patterns combined with fixed sensor nodes. These networks can be deployed for the surveillance of large and critical areas, such as hydropower or water treatment stations. The mobile nodes can vary from internal tactic robots to higher speed terrestrial vehicles, through to aquatic and aerial vehicles. This paper presents a routing solution for a heterogeneous mobile WSN, composed of fixed and mobile nodes, with different mobility models. The solution is based on the selection of cluster-heads, which use classification mobility levels to deliver data to the sink. The solution is compared to other solution using the SiNAlgo simulator. Results show that our solution is efficient in terms of overhead messages, and transmitted data packets. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The role of network reliability in the analysis of Critical Infrastructures (CI) is investigated showing that the traditional approach must be extended in two directions: to include the packet propagation time along the links for real time analysis, and to include networks in which many sources may be variously connected to many sinks. A case study of a SCADA system controlling a power grid, originated from the EU Project MICIE (MICIE — Tool for systemic risk analysis and secure mediation of data exchanged across linked CI information infrastructures) [6], is examined in details, by considering the system in normal operation and when perturbed by malicious attacks. The paper describes an analytical model that can provide timely and accurate information about the reliability status of the system, and that can rapidly be adapted to the changing configurations of the interacting networks. The aim of this work is to explore the feasibility of providing the human operators with a reliability monitor that assists them in checking the status of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The infrastructure systems of power, natural gas, potable water are important parts of lifeline systems. As the complexity the systems are unavoidably disturbed by external and internal perturbations and may cause great disruptions, amplifying negative consequences. Reliability and vulnerability analysis of critical infrastructures for security considerations has become an important subject and some achievements have been acquired on this area. Since different infrastructure systems have different structures and operation mechanisms. A framework of analysis is necessary and seems to be needed. This paper takes power transmission network in a major city of China as example and develops a framework for the analysis of the vulnerability of the power network. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recently issues about cyber-war have gained relevant attention, especially because of gravity of damages that could be caused by cyber attacks to strategic targets, mining security of citizens. Examples of targets might include national civil and military airports, command and control systems of civil and military transportation means electronic military systems for national defense, national infrastructures for water and electricity distribution, industries and also hospitals or firefighters informatics systems. The risk of cyber attacks for the mentioned systems and infrastructures has grown because of the introduction of general-purpose and open (not proprietary)communication protocols, widely interconnecting systems and services. With this regard, it is of great importance the problem of evaluating the impact that cyber attacks could generate and to select effective countermeasures to protect military and civil heterogeneous and interconnected systems. In this paper the Mixed Holistic Reductionist (MHR) model is proposed as a conceptual methodology to evaluate the impact of a set of cyber attacks to military and civil infrastructures of strategic interest. The reductionist approach allows modeling of heterogeneous systems using the simplest elements and then coming to assess the interaction of basic components. The holistic paradigm instead allows to analyze complex systems by evaluating their behavior in complex and thus as a monolithic unit. This model allows combining the holistic method with the reductionist, trying to maintain the benefits of both paradigms. The two methods are linked together through an additional layer which is an intermediate level of abstraction, usually represented by the services of any infrastructure. Services are defined as logical objects, in order to obtain useful functionality to the customer, or other infrastructure. The validity of MHR model has been already tested within the context of Critical Infrastructure protection. In particular, it has been implemented in CISIA, a system-interdependency simulator, developed by "Roma Tre"University. In this work, the effectiveness of the model is studied with regard to government infrastructure protection from cyber attacks and, with this regard, an explicative case study is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Public-Key Infrastructures have become critical infrastructures. A breakdown of such a critical infrastructure would have disastrous consequences. This paper describes our research work that focuses on enabling transferability of such services, designing a framework and creating a prototype implementation for the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As systems become more connected, their complexity arises likewise. It is true that often in looking at a process by decomposing it in subsystems there are some information that go lost. Process components interact with each other in direct and indirect ways and the more the model is precise, the more the view on its functioning is clear. It could be affirmed that the whole carries more information that the sum of its parts. In this context, there is the need to develop integrated models to better evaluate critical system's properties as safety and reliability could be. This work presents the development of a simulation model that aims to evaluate the impact on society a water purification plant failures may have. To do so, the purification plant is digitalised in the MATLAB/Simulink virtual environment by modeling each of its component through Simscape physical blocks libraries. Moreover, a wider view is provided by the modelling of a water distribution network through EPANET, a hydraulic-simulation specific software. The two models are finally connected one to another with the implementation of a MATLAB custom script that makes use of an open-source toolkit to reproduce the real-world integrated system. Simulations are made by taking into account system's safety issues as water shortage or contaminated water distribution, but the presented model can easily be adapted to evaluate different system properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays technology frequently makes use of IT components for implementing communication between the various elements that form a system. CPS (Cyber Physical Systems) are increasingly present in the industrial world and their application is transversal in all sectors. While this allows for greater efficiency, coordination and quality, it also opens to a series of completely new disruption scenarios with a potentially disastrous impact. In this context, the analysis of the system security and reliability pushes for a novel cyber-resilience perspective capable of evaluating not only the possibility of failures related to the physical and tangible part but also anomalies of and attacks to the IT counterpart. This work investigates this research dimension with respect to a water purification and distribution system. The presence of multiple documented events regarding cyber-attacks against the water industry and the consequences that such accidents could have on public health, further motivates this choice. A water desalination plant model and three cyber-attack scenarios have been developed in MATLAB/Simulink. To evaluate the societal impact of plant failures, a georeferenced water distribution network has been designed on EPANET. A set of resilience metrics has been customized for the system at hand, following a probabilistic approach that take into consideration the variability of cyber-attack's duration and system response, along with the physical modeling of the process. The results provide evidence on the benefits of cyber-physical inspired simulation for understanding the behavior of a system, identifying its criticalities, and designing corrective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As systems become more connected, their complexity arises likewise. It is true that often in looking at a process by decomposing it in subsystems there are some information that go lost. Process components interact with each other in direct and indirect ways and the more the model is precise, the more the view on its functioning is clear. It could be affirmed that the whole carries more information that the sum of its parts. In this context, there is the need to develop integrated models to better evaluate critical system's properties as safety and reliability could be. This work presents the development of a simulation model that aims to evaluate the impact on society a water purification plant failures may have. To do so, the purification plant is digitalised in the MATLAB/Simulink virtual environment by modeling each of its component through Simscape physical blocks libraries. Moreover, a wider view is provided by the modelling of a water distribution network through EPANET, a hydraulic-simulation specific software. The two models are finally connected one to another with the implementation of a MATLAB custom script that makes use of an open-source toolkit to reproduce the real-world integrated system. Simulations are made by taking into account system's safety issues as water shortage or contaminated water distribution, but the presented model can easily be adapted to evaluate different system properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays technology frequently makes use of IT components for implementing communication between the various elements that form a system. CPS (Cyber Physical Systems) are increasingly present in the industrial world and their application is transversal in all sectors. While this allows for greater efficiency, coordination and quality, it also opens to a series of completely new disruption scenarios with a potentially disastrous impact. In this context, the analysis of the system security and reliability pushes for a novel cyber-resilience perspective capable of evaluating not only the possibility of failures related to the physical and tangible part but also anomalies of and attacks to the IT counterpart. This work investigates this research dimension with respect to a water purification and distribution system. The presence of multiple documented events regarding cyber-attacks against the water industry and the consequences that such accidents could have on public health, further motivates this choice. A water desalination plant model and three cyber-attack scenarios have been developed in MATLAB/Simulink. To evaluate the societal impact of plant failures, a georeferenced water distribution network has been designed on EPANET. A set of resilience metrics has been customized for the system at hand, following a probabilistic approach that take into consideration the variability of cyber-attack's duration and system response, along with the physical modeling of the process. The results provide evidence on the benefits of cyber-physical inspired simulation for understanding the behavior of a system, identifying its criticalities, and designing corrective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]