Hunor Sandor

Resilience in the Internet of Things: The Software Defined Networking approach

The Internet of Things (IoT) has a significant effect on the evolution of modern Information and Communication Technology. It reshapes the traditional network infrastructures with novel hardware and software technologies. In this work we analyse the IoT platforms from the communication architecture point of view and we evaluate the effects of the communication anomalies on different edges of the data lines to the end-to-end transmission performance. To improve the communication performance and resilience of these systems we adopt hybrid network infrastructures composed of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and redundant non-SDN segments, and we define a method that automatically performs dynamic switching between the redundant non-SDN communication edges. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the proposed method through laboratory-scale experiments using a real networking infrastructure.

Bilateral Teleoperation of Wheeled Mobile Robots Working in Common Workspace

Received Aug 8, 2013 Revised Dec 27, 2013 Accepted Jan 24, 2014 This paper proposes a bilateral control framework for mobile robots which share the same workspace. The robots are teleoperated by independent users. Accordingly, for each teleoperated robot the other robots represent moving obstacles or static obstacles with a-priori unknown positions. For such teleoperation systems a velocity generator algorithm is proposed to obtain the linear and angular velocity commands of the mobile robots. A procedure is also given to calculate the haptic force corresponding to each mobile robot. To guarantee the stability of the teleoperation in the presence of large communication delays, a supervisor control algorithm is proposed which constantly monitors the stability of the teleoperation system. Experimental measurements are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed bilateral teleoperation strategy. Keyword:

Optimally scheduled interventions in the presence of vulnerabilities for modern cyber-physical systems

A large variety of modern technologies fade the borders between the cyber and the physical worlds. Nonetheless, the two-dimensional architecture of cyber-physical systems also enabled the proliferation of innovative attacks where traditional computer systems malware caused significant damages to physical infrastructures, such as the power grid. In this work, we propose a methodology that provides optimal intervention strategies for fixing vulnerabilities discovered in production cyber-physical systems. The main goal of the technique is to decrease the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited by malicious actors, by leveraging risk modeling together with advanced job scheduling algorithms. The proposal is evaluated through use-cases from the healthcare domain.

SOFTWARE DEFINED RESPONSE AND NETWORK RECONFIGURATION FOR INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

The technological shift from isolated industrial control systems to sys- tem-of-systems architectures has introduced myriad security challenges. Following popular trends, modern industrial control systems are incorporating technologies such as Industry 4.0, Internet of Things and cloud computing. In these architectures, traditional information and communications hardware and software are glued together with physical components and modern technologies based on IP networks such as software defined networking. The ability of these systems to respond and reconfigure themselves to mitigate faults and attacks is immensely attractive. This chapter proposes a three-tier architecture that implements response and reconfiguration capabilities in an industrial control system. It adopts a software defined network tier for dynamic communications flow (re)configuration and whitelisting, an application tier for the optimal placement of anomaly detection systems and a supervision tier for gluing the three tiers together. The effectiveness and performance of the protection mechanism are demonstrated via use case based qualitative and quantitative assessments.

Network Controller for Teleoperated Mobile Robotic Agents

In the communication channels of bilateral teleoperation systems it is critical to keep the delay and delay variation under prescribed limits. Otherwise, the stability and transparency of the teleoperation are compromised. In this paper a network controller is proposed for video supported teleoperation systems implemented over WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks). The algorithm controls the transfer rates in the video channels which serve for online monitoring of the teleoperation task. The video transfer rate controller was developed using multi-objective optimization and it assures the best achievable video transmission quality for a prescribed delay or jitter in the communication channels of the teleoperator. The performed real-time experimental measurements show that, with the proposed rate control algorithm, the delay and its fluctuation can be substantially reduced in the teleoperation systems implemented over WLAN.

Video supported bilateral teleoperation system: Design and implementation

In bilateral teleoperation systems, beside the haptic feedback, the human operator also needs video information about the motion of the distantly controlled robot to complete the teleoperation task. In this study a software design approach is presented for such bilateral teleoperation systems that include one or more video channels. A control algorithm is also presented that regulates the traffic in the video channels in order to assure good communication properties for the communication channels over which the control signals are interchanged by the master and slave side of the teleoperation system. Solutions are also given for the implementation of such teleoperation systems. Experimental measurements are presented to validate the proposed communication and software design approach.

A Testbed for Performing Security Experiments with Software-Defined Industrial Control Systems

Stimulated by the recent progress and the integration of technological solutions from the field of traditional IP networks, Industry 4.0 is known as the new industrial revolution, which can fundamentally reshape the functioning of our modern society. Nevertheless, this technological revolution also raises new challenges pertaining to the security design and maintenance of industrial installations. To this end, emerging paradigms such as Software-Defined Networks (SDN) demonstrated to represent a promising candidate and a key enabler for closing the loop between detection of cyber attacks and the mitigation strategies provisioned into Industrial Control Systems (ICS). However, the development and testing of SDN-enabled security solutions for ICS in production environments can threaten the operation of mission-critical services. To address these issues, this work documents the development of a testbed for performing security experiments with SDN-enabled ICS. The testbed supports custom test scenarios, including the recreation of large-scale industrial SDN-based infrastructures, traffic generators, as well as, tools for monitoring and analyzing the generated data. It leverages the Mininet network emulation tool and the POX SDN controller. An extensive case study demonstrates the applicability of the testbed.

Design, verification and implementation of a lightweight remote attestation protocol for process control systems

Until recently, IT security received limited attention within the scope of Process Control Systems (PCS). In the past, PCS consisted of isolated, specialized components running closed process control applications, where hardware was placed in physically secured locations and connections to remote network infrastructures were forbidden. Nowadays, industrial communications are fully exploiting the plethora of features and novel capabilities deriving from the adoption of commodity off the shelf (COTS) hardware and software. Nonetheless, the reliance on COTS for remote monitoring, configuration and maintenance also exposed PCS to significant cyber threats. In light of these issues, this paper presents the steps for the design, verification and implementation of a lightweight remote attestation protocol. The protocol is aimed at providing a secure software integrity verification scheme that can be readily integrated into existing industrial applications. The main novelty of the designed protocol is that it encapsulates key elements for the protection of both participating parties (i.e., verifier and prover) against cyber attacks. The protocol is formally verified for correctness with the help of the Scyther model checking tool. The protocol implementation and experimental results are provided for a Phoenix-Contact industrial controller, which is widely used in the automation of gas transportation networks in Romania.

Sensor data validation and abnormal behavior detection in the Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) and its various application domains are radically changing the lives of people, providing smart services which will ultimately constitute integral components of the living environment. The services of IoT operate based on the data flows collected from the different sensors and actuators. In this respect, the correctness and security of the sensor data transported over the IoT system is a crucial factor in ensuring the correct functioning of the IoT services. In this work, we present a method that can detect abnormal sensor events based on “apriori” knowledge of the behavior of the monitored process. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is that it builds on well-established theoretical works, while delivering a practical technique with low computational requirements. As a result, the developed technique can be hosted on various components of an IoT system. The developed approach is evaluated through real-world use-cases.

Data transfer regulator for wireless teleoperation

To achieve stability and transparency in bilateral teleoperation systems, it is critical to have reliable communication channels between the master and slave robots. Efficient data transmission algorithms have to be developed which take explicitly into consideration the characteristics of the applied communication medium. This paper introduces a new data transfer rate adjustment algorithm for bilateral teleoperation systems that includes video transmission from the slave side to the master side and uses wireless local area networks (WLANs) as a communication medium. If a high amount of data is transmitted over the wireless network which is used by the teleoperation system, significant delay, jitter and packet loss can be expected in the channels of the teleoperation system. Based on application layer measurements performed in the communication channels with variable delay, the proposed regulator adjusts the video transfer rate. The algorithm is designed using two cost functions which define the transmission quality in the teleoperation channels and the quality of the video displayed to the human operator, respectively. The obtained algorithm is able to maintain the expected value of the delay and delay variation in the communication channels of the bilateral teleoperation system at a predefined level. The performed real-time experiments show the proper behavior of the data transfer regulator on the teleoperation even in the presence of independent network load.