Alen Cruz

Cyber defense Network Maneuver Commander

Network Maneuver Commander (NMC) is a research project to develop a prototype cyber command and control (C2) system that maneuvers network-based elements preemptively, and to develop performance metrics to be used for the evaluation of cyber dynamic defense solutions. The Network Maneuver Commander addresses the gap area between active information operations & reactive information assurance defenses, by focusing on the introduction of artificial diversity of hardware platforms, operating systems, IP addresses and hypervisors. NMC also establishes metrics to determine the benefit of these defensive techniques. The goals of the research were to increase the investment an attacker must make to succeed, increase the exposure of an attacker to detection as the attacker is forced to out-maneuver target reconfigurations, increase the uncertainty of the success of the attack, increase the survivability in the presence of attacks, and to define metrics associated with cyber operations for dynamic defense.

Using cyber maneuver to improve network resiliency

The Net Maneuver Commander (NMC) is a research prototype cyber command and control (C2) system which constantly maneuvers network-based elements preemptively to improve network resiliency in a cyber compromised environment. Similar in concept to a frequency hopping radio, Network Maneuver Commander transparently and preemptively provides a moving target defense to evade attack. It utilizes randomization algorithms for maneuver destination selection, providing randomized synthetic diversity of hardware platforms, operating systems and network segments. Network Maneuver Commander also improves resiliency through random and pre-emptive application and platform reconstitution with check-pointing, reloading and resetting, and through the support of deception and containment of malware.

Evaluating network cyber resiliency methods using cyber threat, Vulnerability and Defense Modeling and Simulation

This paper describes a Cyber Threat, Vulnerability and Defense Modeling and Simulation tool kit used for evaluation of systems and networks to improve cyber resiliency. This capability is used to help increase the resiliency of networks at various stages of their lifecycle, from initial design and architecture through the operation of deployed systems and networks. Resiliency of computer systems and networks to cyber threats is facilitated by the modeling of agile and resilient defenses versus threats and running multiple simulations evaluated against resiliency metrics. This helps network designers, cyber analysts and Security Operations Center personnel to perform trades using what-if scenarios to select resiliency capabilities and optimally design and configure cyber resiliency capabilities for their systems and networks.