Ryan M. Gerdes

Vehicular Platooning in an Adversarial Environment

In this paper, we show that a single, maliciously controlled vehicle can destabilize a vehicular platoon, to catastrophic effect, through local modifications to the prevailing control law. Specifically, by combining changes to the gains of the associated law with the appropriate vehicle movements, the attacker can cause the platoon to oscillate at a resonant frequency, causing accidents that could result in serious injury or death. We determine the range of gains, and their corresponding frequencies, that allow an attacker to violate the string stability and stability criteria at different positions in the platoon. Furthermore, we prove that the attack can be successful at any position in the platoon and at frequencies that can be realized by the other vehicles in the platoon. Our work implies that neither the string stability nor stability conditions, when used singly, ensure proper platoon operation, and that neither can be used to ensure the other. Finally, we show that an attacker is theoretically capable of gaining control over the individual position and velocity (states) of other vehicles in the platoon; two attacks are demonstrated for this vulnerability.

CPS: an efficiency-motivated attack against autonomous vehicular transportation

This work describes a new type of efficiency attack that can be used to degrade the performance of automated vehicular transportation systems. Next-generation transportation technologies will leverage increasing use of vehicle automation. Proposed vehicular automation systems include cooperative adaptive cruise control and vehicle platooning strategies which require cooperation and coordination among vehicles. These strategies are intended to optimize through-put and energy usage in future highway systems, but, as we demonstrate, they also introduce new vulnerabilities. In this work we show that a typical platooning system would allow a maliciously controlled vehicle to exert subtle influence on the motion of surrounding vehicles. This effect can be used to increase the energy expenditure of surrounding vehicles by 20% to 300%.

Physical-Layer Identification of Wired Ethernet Devices

This work sets forth a systematic approach for the investigation and utilization of the signal characteristics of digital devices for use in a security context. A methodology, built upon an optimal detector, the matched filter, is proposed that allows for the reliable identification and tracking of wired Ethernet cards by use of their hardware signaling characteristics. The matched filter is found to be sensitive enough to differentiate between devices using only a single Ethernet frame; an adaptive thresholding strategy employing prediction intervals is used to cope with the stochastic nature of the signals. To demonstrate the validity of the methodology, and to determine which portions of the signal are useful for identification purposes, experiments were performed on three different models of 10/100 Ethernet cards, totaling 27 devices in all. In selecting the cards, an effort was made to maximize intramodel similarity and thus present a worst-case scenario. While the primary focus of the work is network-based authentication, forensic applications are also considered. By using data collected from the same devices at different times, it is shown that some models of cards can be reidentified even after a month has elapsed since they were last seen.

The Pedantic 21st Century Freshman Engineering Student.

This paper reviews many of the observed characteristics and study habits of first-year students in Iowa State Universitys electrical engineering programme (Ames, Iowa, USA). The studying and problem-solving practices of the students are discussed to identify salient traits, strengths and weaknesses, and critical symptoms thereof, which can affect learning in technical fields, as well as life-long learning. The effects the Internet and the use of computer games have on student thinking and problem-solving approaches are also discussed. †Here, we make use of the word pedantic in a most neutral and academically oriented sense, i.e. to be concerned with or engage in the trivial aspects of learning.

Attack Mitigation in Adversarial Platooning Using Detection-Based Sliding Mode Control

In this paper, we consider a mitigation strategy to prevent a vehicle controlled by an attacker from causing collisions in a vehicular platoon. An adversarial-aware control scheme, based on sliding mode control using only local sensor information and a decentralized attack detector, is shown to significantly reduce the number and severity of collisions, without the need for inter-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. Simulations demonstrate that collisions are eliminated (or significantly reduced) when the attacker and normal vehicles have same capabilities, and collisions are reduced even with more powerful attackers.

Work in progress - the public image of an engineer

Recent efforts aimed at improving technological literacy and attracting the younger generation to engineering careers by the National Association of Engineers, as well as IEEE, have provoked discussions about the public image of the engineer. These discussions usually focus on the image or stereotype of engineers in popular television shows or other media. One element that is missing from this discussion, however, is the historical context in which this image has developed. This paper presents a historical perspective which examines how engineers were viewed by past generations and how the current image of engineers from earlier periods shapes how individuals see the engineering profession today. We conclude that though the overall image of the engineer is not entirely negative, there is a lack of understanding of the contribution of engineers in the publicpsilas perception. This paper also proposes an image of engineering that more fully represents the work and contributions of engineers.

Message Integrity Protection over Wireless Channel by Countering Signal Cancellation: Theory and Practice

Physical layer message integrity protection and authentication by countering signal-cancellation has been shown as a promising alternative to traditional pure cryptographic message authentication protocols, due to the non-necessity of neither pre-shared secrets nor secure channels. However, the security of such an approach remained an open problem due to the lack of systematic security modeling and quantitative analysis. In this paper, we first establish a novel correlated jamming framework to study the optimal signal-cancellation attackers behavior and utility using game-theory, which precisely captures the attackers knowledge using its correlated channel estimates in various channel environments. Besides, we design a practical physical layer message integrity protection protocol based on ON/OFF keying and Manchester coding, which provides quantitative security guarantees in the real-world. Such a guarantee is achieved by bounding the attackers knowledge about the future channel via proactively measuring channel statistics (mimic the attacker), so as to derive a lower-bound to the defenders signal-detection probability under optimal correlated jamming attacks. We conduct extensive experiments and simulations to show the security and performance of the proposed scheme. We believe our novel threat modeling and quantitative security analysis methodology can benefit a wide range of physical layer security problems.

Friendly Jamming for Secure Localization in Vehicular Transportation

In this paper we explore the prospect of using friendly jamming for the secure localization of vehicles. In friendly jamming confidential information is obscured from eavesdroppers through the use of opportunistic jamming on the part of the parties engaged in communication. We analyze the effectiveness of friendly jamming and compare it to the traditional localization approaches of distance bounding and verifiable trilateration for similar highway infrastructures. We present our results in terms of the probability of spoofing a given position by maliciously-controlled vehicles.

Physical-Layer Detection of Hardware Keyloggers

This work examines the general problem of detecting the presence of hardware keyloggers HKLs, and specifically focuses on HKLs that are self-powered and take measures, such as passively tapping the keyboard line, to avoid detection. The work is inspired by the observer effect, which maintains that the act of observation impacts the observed. First, a model for HKLs is proposed, and experimentally validated, that explains how attaching a HKL necessarily affects the electrical characteristics of the system it is attached to. The model then motivates the selection of features that can be used for detection. A comparison framework is put forth that is sensitive enough to identify the minute changes in these features caused by HKLs. Experimental work carried out on a custom keylogger designed to conceal its presence, at the expense of reliability, shows that it is possible to detect stealthy and evasive keyloggers by observing as few as five keystrokes. Optimal attack strategies are devised to evade detection by the proposed approach and countermeasures evaluated that show detection is still possible. Environmental effects on detection performance are also examined and accounted for.

Work in progress — The next step for cubism in education: from abstract concepts to a classroom based implementation

The introduction and adaptation of cubism for engineering education, with the aim of creating a multidimensional learning environment, was recently proposed by Mina M. (2006). In a cubist environment, technology is employed to offer different perspectives of the same subject, multi- faceted teaching styles and strategies are incorporated to suit different learning styles, and the material and construction of the course are tailored to the students need. In this paper, we report on our experience in developing a limited implementation of a cubistic experience for electrical engineering students in an electromagnetism course and at the freshman level. We also discuss how to utilize the concepts of cubism-expressed through audio, video, electronic notes, the Internet, and other technology-to create exciting and engaging lectures, motivate the students to learn and remember, and develop interest and passion about engineering and learning.