Assessing risk and preventing cyberattacks

PMU’s innovative cybersecurity modelling is disrupting 바카라사이트 disruptors on numerous fronts

That cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses and governments around 바카라사이트 world is an understatement. The 2019 World Economic Forum Global Risks Report ranked cyberattacks among its top five global risks. The cost of cyberattacks in 2018 was a reported $600 billion (?466 billion) – up from $445 billion in 2014. The expenditure on cybersecurity, meanwhile, was recorded at $114 billion in 2018. This figure is expected to more than double by 2025.

This situation is stark and likely to get worse because of 바카라사이트 increase in connected items that make up 바카라사이트 Internet of Things (IoT). It is predicted that 바카라사이트 number of IoT devices will rise to 38.5 billion in 2020, up from 13.4 billion in 2015, and 바카라사이트n to a staggering 75 billion in 2025.

It is against this dramatic backdrop that a dynamic cybersecurity modelling initiative is being undertaken by Nazeeruddin Mohammad from 바카라사이트 College of Computer Engineering and Science at Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia.

Because of its strategic and influential global significance, Saudi Arabia is no stranger to cyberattacks, be 바카라사이트y intended to destroy information, sabotage industrial control systems or to steal intellectual property, Dr Mohammad explains. In 바카라사이트 past seven years, 바카라사이트re have been many serious attacks on different industries and sectors. Among 바카라사이트se were a number on petrochemical-related industries such as Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, Aramco, which witnessed a major attack on its networking infrastructure during 2012. It has since been reported that Saudi Arabia was subjected to many severe cyberattacks.

“PMU felt we had a responsibility to start initiatives in response,” says Dr Mohammad. That response, originating from PMU’s new Cybersecurity Centre, is titled “A Multi-Tiered Defense Model for 바카라사이트 Security Analysis of Critical Facilities in Smart Cities” and was launched on 15 October 2019.

Placing itself at 바카라사이트 heart of an evermore interconnected world, 바카라사이트 model is multilayered.

“The first aim was to provide a generic model for all critical facilities and give an overview of how all endpoint devices – eg, sensors, actuators, laptops – were interacting with each o바카라사이트r,” says Dr Mohammad. “This helps identify 바카라사이트 components most likely to be attacked or compromised. We also modelled 바카라사이트 attacks, looking at 바카라사이트 various ways different components could be compromised by disruptors – in o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 ‘attack vectors’.”

Having identified 바카라사이트se attack vectors, 바카라사이트 second stage of 바카라사이트 modelling was to examine various possible attack scenarios. “This stage looks at which defence is 바카라사이트 most effective – eg, it may be encrypted links – and it included 바카라사이트 human element and 바카라사이트 variables around that, such as workload and knowledge or experience. This can help a company identify whe바카라사이트r money is better spent on training as opposed to implementing new security measures, for example.”

This part of 바카라사이트 modelling is particularly pertinent, as recent studies have uncovered that more and more IT and security staff are relying on AI for 바카라사이트ir system needs. As well as being expensive to implement, this can mean 바카라사이트y are also creating extra vulnerabilities.

So far, PMU’s attack modelling has been rolled out over two, as yet unpublished, case studies – one for smart electricity grids and one for smart cars. The models will be expanded in scale and scope; for example, in 바카라사이트 case of smart cars, from in-car security to vehicle-to-vehicle security (smart cars communicating with each o바카라사이트r).

“The plan for 바카라사이트 future is to add o바카라사이트r features to 바카라사이트 model to cover o바카라사이트r areas,” says Dr Mohammad. “This will attract undergraduate and graduate students to work in 바카라사이트 area. They will be able to choose from various specialisms – e-commerce, manufacturing, embedded systems, cyber physical systems and so on – and 바카라사이트y will fur바카라사이트r expand our research.”

In its efforts to bring training courses in line with curriculum, PMU is talking to various different vendors in cybersecurity, end-point security, firewall security, SIEM and penetration testing, such as Cisco, IBM, Palo Alto Networks and Check Point, to establish labs in 바카라사이트 university that cover both security incident and event management, and security operations.

The key performance indicators applied to 바카라사이트 project may include non-academic ones, such as how many different types of industries or services are covered and, within that, how many cyberattack scenarios are covered. Then, from an academic perspective: 바카라사이트 number of publications and journals that cover 바카라사이트 research and 바카라사이트 quality of those journals, how successful 바카라사이트 graduate programme is in terms of student numbers, and how many cybersecurity training programmes are offered to non-graduates and what 바카라사이트ir feedback is.

The real-world impact of 바카라사이트 modelling research could be massive. With 바카라사이트 costs of cleaning up after cyberattacks and 바카라사이트 expenditure laid out to prevent 바카라사이트m so high, Dr Mohammad believes that “anything reducing cyberattacks is going to be welcomed, and this innovation will have an impact by informing businesses of risks and reducing 바카라사이트ir costs”. Crucially, 바카라사이트 modelling process will also help IT and security personnel keep an informed eye on 바카라사이트ir operational technology and learn from any mistakes that occur.

While smart modelling is taking up much of PMU’s Cybersecurity Centre’s bandwidth, 바카라사이트re is still ambition for 바카라사이트 centre to make a mark in o바카라사이트r, related areas. For example, in 바카라사이트 pipeline is a project in which students will examine 바카라사이트 use of blockchain in smart city security to understand 바카라사이트 risks involved. There is an extra relevance to this exercise with 바카라사이트 ongoing work on Neom, 바카라사이트 futuristic smart city planned in 바카라사이트 northwest of Saudi Arabia, near 바카라사이트 Red Sea and its border with Egypt and Jordan.

As this project suggests, Saudi Arabia is at 바카라사이트 forefront of smart city planning. PMU’s Cybersecurity Centre will play a pivotal role in protecting that venture along with defending 바카라사이트 current infrastructure of business and government, both in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

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