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Cyber-Physical Systems Modeling for Security Using SysML

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Systems Engineering in Context

Abstract

Modeling cyber-physical systems (CPS) presents a unique challenge due to their numerous heterogeneous components, complex physical interactions, and disjoint communication networks. Modeling CPS to aid security analysis further adds to these challenges, because securing CPS requires not only understanding of the system architecture but also the system’s role within its broader mission. This is due to the infeasibility of completely securing every single component, network, and part within a CPS. As such it is necessary to be cognizant of the system’s expected service, or mission, so the effects of an exploit can be mitigated, and the system can at least perform its mission in a partially degraded manner. A security analysis methodology based on this philosophy is greatly aided by the creation of a model that combines system architecture information, its admissible behaviors, and its mission context. This paper presents a technique for creating such a model using the Systems Modeling Language.

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Abbreviations

CPS:

Cyber-physical system

SysML:

Systems Modeling Language

STPA-Sec:

Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis for Security

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Acknowledgments

This research is based upon the work supported by the Department of Defense through the Systems Engineering Research Center managed by the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Coordinated Systems Lab, UVA, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Bryan T. Carter & Georgios Bakirtzis

  2. Dependable Cyber-Physical Systems Lab, VCU, Richmond, VA, USA

    Carl R. Elks & Georgios Bakirtzis

  3. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Cody H. Fleming

Authors
  1. Bryan T. Carter
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  2. Cody H. Fleming
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  3. Carl R. Elks
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  4. Georgios Bakirtzis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Georgios Bakirtzis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Stephen Adams

  2. Department of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Peter A. Beling

  3. Department of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    James H. Lambert

  4. Department of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    William T. Scherer

  5. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Cody H. Fleming

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Carter, B.T., Fleming, C.H., Elks, C.R., Bakirtzis, G. (2019). Cyber-Physical Systems Modeling for Security Using SysML. In: Adams, S., Beling, P., Lambert, J., Scherer, W., Fleming, C. (eds) Systems Engineering in Context. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00114-8_53

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