A Multilevel Cybersecurity and Safety Monitor for Embedded Cyber-Physical Systems
This addresses security and safety issues for embedded CPS, such as flight control systems, but appears incremental as it builds on existing monitor architectures.
The paper tackles the problem of securing cyber-physical systems (CPS) against attacks by proposing a multilevel hierarchical monitor architecture, applied to a flight control system, which enhances system resiliency and dependability as a bolt-on solution.
Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are composed of various embedded subsystems and require specialized software, firmware, and hardware to coordinate with the rest of the system. These multiple levels of integration expose attack surfaces which can be susceptible to attack vectors that require novel architectural methods to effectively secure against. We present a multilevel hierarchical monitor architecture cybersecurity approach applied to a flight control system. However, the principles present in this paper apply to any CPS. Additionally, the real-time nature of these monitors allow for adaptable security, meaning that they mitigate against possible classes of attacks online. This results in an appealing bolt-on solution that is independent of different system designs. Consequently, employing such monitors leads to strengthened system resiliency and dependability of safety-critical CPS.