Using a Semantic Approach to Cyber Impact Assessment

Abstract

Abstract—The use of cyberspace as a platform for military operations presents many new research challenges. This paper focuses on the specific problem of assessing the impact of an event in the cyber domain (e.g. a cyber attack) on the missions it supports. The approach involves the use of Cyber-ARGUS, a C2 simulation framework, along with semantic technologies to provide consistent mapping between domains. Relevant information is stored in a semantic knowledge base about the nodes in the cyber domain, and then used to build a Bayesian network to provide impact assessment. The technique is illustrated through the simulation of an air transportation scenario in which the C2 infrastructure is subjected to various cyber attacks, and their associated impact to the operations is assessed. Index Terms—Impact assessment, cyber-security, Bayesian Networks, C2, semantic technologies.